Cursed
by Jenihime
Summary: Sesshoumarou finds himself with a problem: A curse bestowed by a dark miko... From a mysterious blue light on an open road, out comes his solution: a strange but strong miko who possesses many powerful talents... Warning, rated mature for a reason!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Do not own Inuyasha nor its content, I only own characters I create ;-)

A/N: Welcome to my very first fanfic. Please be reassured, I do actually have a life, and following chapters will not be this long. I just wanted to really set the mood correctly, as well as set the new character properly. My goal is to update every 2 weeks. The first chapter might seem slow, but I guarantee that action is to come...

Setting: It happens after the Inuyasha series (for those who did not read the end, or see the 2009-2010 epilogue, find a way to see it...) basically after Naraku has been defeated and everyone is living their happily-ever-after.

I have not solicited any beta-readers, if you are interested, please do mail me. English is not my first language, and I do apologize for any weird syntax or spelling...

Standard warning: Mature for content, gore, language (eventually), lemons (please note that I have put warning in this one, but I most probably will forget in the future...)

Who knows where this story will lead, I can only promise that it will be a long one ;-) Oh, and for readers that enjoy details, please be reassured, I will tie in all loose ends (and if I don't, you can remind be ;-)

Positive criticism is the only way to improve, so please send comments (no pointless ranting please, if you really hate it, just don't read...) Also, I will go on popular demand here; I have incorporated very little Japanese words in the firs chapter, as I find that it sometimes break the rhythm of the story... Please let me know if you would like more, as I don't mind adapting and adding a few Japanese here and there :)

Enjoy!

She was walking alone in the gardens surrounding the shrine she had been raised in. This was the only place where she truly found peace; _her_ gardens. She had taken on the task of creating paradise on earth within the walls that kept her safe, within her golden cage... Bittersweet was her success, as she knew that though she pranced freely in this world, the barrier around her other-self would always restrain her, and she could never be truly free. The planning, planting, nurturing and careful grooming of her gardens had kept her occupied and soothed her soul for the past few years, giving her closure on the events to come, helping her accept that her own destruction would soon come to pass...

She had always been a strong soul, and rarely indulged in self pity, but this was the time of year when she allowed herself one of those rare spouts of nostalgia, when the Hanami festival was being organized. She despised this festival, even though her given name is said to have been inspired by such glorious times. _Sakura_, she thought bitterly. She had planted no cherry tree in her garden. She had been rescued by a monk as a new born, her parents brutally murdered, under a cherry tree, during the Hanami festivities. She had a strong repulsion towards the blooming trees, as if those white petals were forever bloodstained.

She had known so little of her parents and the circumstances surrounding their death. She had only been told that they were attacked, and her mother, heavily pregnant with her, had given up her life to save her. At the time, the ever-wandering Buddhist monk came up on the carnage that had passed and rescued the new born, taking her to a nearby shrine where she would be raised a priestess. He had named her Sakura, as she was born under the tree, and he strongly believed that the guardian tree held her life dear, as such a frail creature should have perished along with her parents. He believed that her life was strongly linked to all of Nature's force. She smirked, thinking about the irony of it all. Had she been born 500 years ago, she would have been able to truly be one with nature, as feudal Japan was covered with rich forest filled with Eco-diversity. Her Karma was to be born in modern day Japan, where the concrete jungle battled the organic, where the wretched pollution made it hard to breath and made humans completely oblivious to the living creatures around them. She came to hate the modern world as much as she hated her name, for it only reminded her of another time; a time where humans lived according to natures rules, and not the other way around.

A voice suddenly ripped her out of her meditative trance. "Lady Sakura, Lady Sakura..." said one of the newest trainees. Sakura had not left her spot, and her gaze followed the young girl who was coming up to her, out of breath, she continued: "you are needed inside the hall, it is a great emergency, please come with haste..."

Sakura sight heavily, relieving some of her annoyance towards the heavy, fake sentence structure that was used. If the urgency was that great, why not just say "hurry, come to the hall"... A sudden shriek made her move. She was able to move faster than most humans, thanks to that _other-self_ locked up within her, and the young girl that had come to deliver the message gasped in surprise at the speed with which she left her side. She was heading towards the hall where she now felt an evil presence. She knew that whatever was in the hall wasn't powerful enough to cause her to break a sweat, but the girls inside where unable to face such evil. They were living in a truly soft era, where evil spirits could be destroyed with a simple spell. With a sigh, she pushed open the large doors which lead to the hall, where a possessed human was convulsing on the floor. She saw that two senior priestesses where unconscious on the floor, blood pouring from gashes on their heads and sides. She frowned; a simple human possession should not have been powerful enough to cause her veterans to fall so easily. She heard shrieks coming from terrified trainees huddled in a corner of the room. She blocked them out as she tried to figure out what it was that she was dealing with. She breathed in all the scents of the room, letting her powerful Miko aura saturate the stone walls, floor and ceiling. Her aura reached out to the scared trainees, soothing their fears away with her confidence. She wanted to also ensure that her elders where in no immediate danger, and was comforted to find that their wounds were mostly superficial. A wave of nausea hit her when her aura brushed the possessed human. _Death... Putrefaction... Decay..._ That was all she could get from the convulsing human on the floor... _'It's a shell!'_ she thought rapidly... _'A human soul no longer resides in this body... This will make things easier'_ she sneered; it would be a problem rapidly dealt with, and she could return to her gardens.

A gurgle came out of the shell's throat "It's her", It said. Sakura raised an eyebrow. Suddenly, the shell lifted in the air, and moved with rapid speed towards her. She smirked as the lifeless body plunged towards hers, as she readied her spiritual powers. As the corpse flew to her, she put up a purifying barrier, destroying the evil inside, leaving only the empty shell, lifeless on the floor where it had dropped. Sakura sighed, looking at the mess in the hall. She knew she was the most respected miko present at the time, and she lifted her head and looked at the young ones still huddled, scared. "Mikos," she ordered, "rise this instant" she said in a strong voice. The frightened girls all got up at once, except for one, the youngest of all. "Mikos should not cower in fear in the sight of evil. You have all been given the tools to defend yourselves. We are protectors of humans, and it is our duty to do so." Her face had remained a stoic mask, as if carved out of the finest marble. "Little one" she said on the same strong, cold tone, "did you not hear me when I said to rise", a comment which only made the small trainee whimper in fear. All of the others looked down, none daring to even look at her. Her anger seem to build and all trembled, as her aura was spiking, hitting them like little shards of glass. She walked closer to the group, and they made way as she was approaching the small girl, shaking on the floor."I said get up, you little wimp". The air was thick and could have been easily sliced with any katana. She was looming oppressively over the small figure, and all every one could do was watch in horror as the powerful Miko was looming over the fragile figure of their youngest sister. She finally heard what she had been waiting for. "Stop it, don't you see that you're scaring her!" Everyone gasped as one of the girls had placed herself between the senior miko and the child. Sakura raised her eyebrow 'finally, one has emerged'... "oh, you would place your future in this shrine before the interest of this child? What is she to you anyway?" She spat. Sakura could clearly see that the girl had spirit; very little spiritual power, but spirit. It didn't matter in these times, and made her smile... _'Power, without spirit, was truly like a phoenix without wings... She is better to have spirit and little power, than possess much power with little spirit'_ she thought, looking at the other trainees... "She is my miko sister, and I pledged my allegiance to her and all other mikos when I joined this shrine!" She screamed, suddenly out of breath, as if it all taken all the energy contained in her small frail body to speak this simple sentence.

Sakura's eyes suddenly changed and filled with tenderness. She knelt and took the exhausted young girl in her arms, and the girl was so stunned that she did not even react to the embrace, which made the older miko laugh. "You have learned your lesson quite well child, and I am honored to see that someone like you resides in this temple." She finished her sentence by placing a small kiss on the flabbergasted girls' forehead. She then looked at the little one still crying on the floor, smiled lovingly and said: "Please stop crying little one" Her voice was filled with so much love and tenderness that every one stopped breathing. They felt like a warm embrace was placed on all of their shoulders. The small girl on the floor stopped crying and looked up to Sakura's smiling face, and smiled through her tears. She slowly got up, and stumbled into Sakura's arms, only to get a strong, motherly embrace from the older Miko.

Sakura, without releasing her younger sister, lifted her head and said: "Well, you all look like a bunch of Koi in a pond... how about you go and help our sisters who were injured?" There was authority in her tone, and all scattered to the older mikos lying in their blood. She got up, still holding the child in her arms and walked out of the room. As she did, she noticed mikos her age rushing in to help the elders. '_Coward fools, you where just waiting for the commotion to be over...'_ she bitterly thought as she walked by, the child still clutching to her neck. She walked to the children dormitories, and brought the child to her bed. She was the one responsible for the night rounds, so she knew where she slept. She let the girl go gently above the bed, and asked: "Are you afraid of me, after what happened tonight?" There was a hint of sadness in her eyes as she looked at the child's face. "Not at all, sensei!" said the little one. "It was a lesson, wasn't it?". Sakura was glad that two of the young trainees had understood what she had done that night. She simply nodded and kissed the girl on the forehead and left the dormitory.

She wished that she could have stayed longer, but the full moon was soon to come out, and she needed to be where her _other-self_ could not harm anyone. She made her way to the special room that was specially built for her when she turned twelve, where she would be locked in one night of every lunar cycle. She opened the door and walked in, closed it behind her and heard the familiar sound the latch made, as the spell locked her in. She looked out the window, as dusk set in, and knew that she would not be alone for long...

As the full moon raised and reach its zenith, she felt the usual pain in her abdomen; the feeling of claws making their way out. She clenched her teeth, and as the demon locked inside of her finally made its way out, she yelped out as blood spewed out of her lips.

There it was, an exact replica of her own image, standing before her. The clothes and hair style where different, but the resemblance of their traits was scary. She had seed this demon every month for the past 10 years, and she never got used to how evil _she_ looked. Sakura found it hard to dissociate herself from the demon, as it had always looked like her. It had aged from the scrawny twelve years old she was when it first appeared, to look exactly like the woman she was today. She wasn't tall, a little bit above five foot, her waist long jet black hair contrasted her pale, marble face. Her fierce turquoise eyes was what created aw and fear in certain people, as it was very uncommon in Japan; as was having a dangerous demon locked up inside... she was a petite figure, and her slender muscle hid a surprising strength. She truly was a force to be reckoned with. She wore the traditional miko attire, white shirt and black ample pants. She would usually carry her bow and arrow, but history had thought her not to on the nights her _other-self _came to visit. The demon-image of her had the same sticking turquoise eyes. Her forehead was adorned with three silver stars, one large in the middle flanked by two small ones on each sides as well as three stripes on her cheeks, two black and the middle one the same silver as the stars on her forehead. Her black head of hair was longer, almost knee length, stripped with the same silver that adorned her face. Her complexion was marble white as was Sakura's. Her eyes were colored with dark pink eye shadow and black eyeliner. Her lips where blood red, a sharp contrast to both her ivory skin and crisp white fangs.

She was always wearing a white and purple Daimyo-styled kimono, covered with hard armor. Sakura always felt that this demon was a natural born leader, and should have been at the head of some terrible demon army of some sort. She was as fierce as she was magnificent. '_This is no time to be admiring her, you twit!'_ she thought to herself. Soon would start the battle, which outcome would determine who would live... for another month.

"Hello, Sakura" Said the demon warrior. She bowed down, respectfully.

"Hello, demon" Answered the priestess. Answering her bow, she braced herself, as she knew what was coming next.

The demon flexed her claws, and reached for the weapon that was strapped to her back. Her Odachi, the giant six foot tall, two foot wide sword was draw from its sheath. Sakura mentally listed all the scars that remained on her body, reminder of that sword... She had to finish this quickly today, as she had already used up a substantial amount of her energy on the possessed cadaver.

The demon sprung forth, Odachi pointing towards her, with menacing force. She quickly moved out of the way, letting the demoness pass her in her swing. Sakura concentrated her spiritual purification energy in her right hand and landed a blow behind the demonesses skull, rendering her unconscious. Sakura let whatever air was left in her lung leave her body as a heavy sigh relieved her of her worries. However, something was off... something had been _too_ easy this month... Nevertheless, her worrisome foe was now face down in the dirt, and was slowly evaporating into an ethereal being. When none of the physical traces of the demon where left, a small green orb of light formed and returned to the wound on Sakura's stomach, leaving her gasping for air, as a new wave of blood found its way to her esophagus.

As she fell on all four, the ground around her started glowing in a strange blue light. As it surrounded her, she felt deep slumber trying to overtake her. She fought, as she felt that it might be the demon returning. She suddenly felt the wind around her and smelt Nature's embrace around her. She felt its warmth embrace her, but she was still not at ease, something kept her wary... She suddenly felt another presence next to hers, and this presence was the only one to ever have that effect upon her... She was at peace. She finally surrendered, an as she felt face down, exhausted from her struggle. She was never aware of the amber eyes looking down on a truly strange spectacle.

Lord Sesshoumaru was on one of his long meditative walks away from his ward and retainer. He understood that Rin was still an exuberant pup, and needed to learn manners, which was why he had left her with the elder miko of Edo, Kaede. He wanted her to tame the young pup, teach her some manners, as well as educate her in the ways of the humans. Sesshoumaru had saved her, kept her by him and thought her how to survive; it was time for her to learn of the human ways. He had gone to visit her in her village that morning, to see her progress. She was still exuberant, but that was to be expected, at her age. She was happy and that is all that mattered to him. Hi annoyance came from the fact that she lived in the same village as his younger half-brother Inuyasha. He had lived there ever since the Hanyou Naraku had been defeated, and the Shikon no Tama Priestess Kagome had vanquished the forbidden jewel. He was bitter towards the matted pair, as he knew that part of the reason that his precious ward was still in this unworthy human village was because she was so deeply attached to the Miko, and in turn, the Miko would never leave her mate. A chuckle came into Sesshoumaru's through, thinking about who was really the alpha leader in the couple, his younger half-brother or the miko... Nevertheless, his half-brother, the hanyou, was still _his father's _son, and therefore, royalty. He could come and live in the western lands castle, him and his odd pack, and Sesshoumaru would be reunited with his ward... But that implied that he would stoop so low that he would _invite _Inuyasha to live in _his_ castle. Just the thought of it made him clench his jaw.

Annoyed as he was with his exuberant ward, he was even more annoyed that he had not been able to address the real reason for his visit to Edo. He had been cursed by a dark miko, and his demon powers were now locked. He still had strength, and for the moment, none would challenge his titles, but he knew that these times would come. He had to find a way to break the curse, so that his youki would be free.

Yanking him out of his thoughts, he sensed a powerful force ahead. He felt undeniable attraction towards a specific area, as if his every fibber of his being where being pulled. All of his other senses clouded, as in a deep thick fog, he followed the beacon, as a ship follows the fog horn...

He suddenly halted. Before his eyes, a most unexpected spectacle unfolded. He was not one to be often surprised, but tonight, he was to witness something he had never seen before. He had stopped dead in his tracks. Blue light sprung an inch from his foot. He took in the smells coming from this light, and it made him gag. He was about to cover his nose with his thick kimono when he caught smell of something else. Amongst the putrid acrid smell of death, putrefaction and decay, something else came through... He had never in his long life smelt the scent of the four seasons all at once. Clean as winter, fresh as spring, bountiful as summer and earthy as fall, that, and something else was present, and he was completely mesmerized. He couldn't move from this spot.

As the blue light subsided, he saw a demon in the light... he squinted... no, a human was in the light, and she was breathing heavily, as if battling slumber. Since she was badly injured, Sesshoumaru assumed that she had been in a terrible battle and that adrenaline was what kept her going. Suddenly, he realized that was what carried the scent of the four seasons on her.

The blue light died down, leaving the frail miko fighting to remain awake. Pulling him out of his stupor was the strong metallic scent about her. Her blood was running out of her veins, and that, to quickly for her body to adapt. She suddenly fell to the ground, unconscious.

Sesshoumaru knelt next to her unconscious body, and turned her around. All colours had been washed out of her face, and her facial expression revealed a grim expression of pain. Her white miko garb was covered in blood. Time was of the essence, and if he wanted to save this miko who smelt of the four seasons, he had to act quickly. He lifted her gently in his arms, bridal style. He sped towards the edo village as he had never hurried before. He wanted this miko to live and to find out her secrets.

As he reached Edo, he quickly identified the scent of the miko who was known as Kaede. He ran towards her, holding the unconscious, limp miko. He stopped a few inches from her.

Though his eyes remained cold, the bloodied girl lying in Sesshoumaru harms sent a clear message to the old miko. They needed to move quickly if she was going to be saved. She gestured in a silent nod towards her hut, and the powerful demon lord Sesshoumaru complied. He walked towards the hut in silent submission. She was the healer. She would heal this Miko of four seasons. She would then give him answers. That was all he wanted; answers.

He walked in and he laid the younger woman in the miko's hut with the uttermost gentleness, as if afraid to break her, since she was already in a very fragile state.

He then sat down and looked at her, and as she lay sleeping, he noticed that he had been holding his breath, just to ensure that she would not be woken by it.  
As the elder Kaede walked in, he slowly let go of a sigh of relief, allowing him to free air trapped in his lungs.

As he saw her pulling on the ropes of her garb, he swiftly turned around. She was a lady after all and it was the appropriated thing to do.

As Kaede opened the young woman's kimono, she was only left to gasp as she took in the horrendous wounds on her stomach and torso. '_this child need to be strong to survive...'_ she though sadly. It was the strangest wounds she had ever seen; it was as though she had been attacked from the inside. She quickly brushed her surprise aside, and released a deep sigh. "Lord Sesshoumaru, may I ask thee to go get Rin, so she may assist me"

Her gasp of surprise, as well as her sighs of stress had not escaped the demon lord, and when she asked him to assist, he was glad to comply. He left the small hut, quickly sniffed the air, and found her not too far with his half brother's wife. He ran to them with all the speed his weakened state allowed, getting there but a minute after leaving the hut. He two startled woman looked up at him before they both smiled widely. They were picking mushrooms, and where both kneeling on the ground. "Rin, he said, the miko Kaede needs your help to treat an injured miko" He stated. He saw his wards face become serious, and she nodded before joining his side. A heavily pregnant Kagome rose, and walked towards him and said, very seriously: "Please let me join you, I'm sure that I can help" She said with a smile.

Sesshoumaru only nodded, and picked up both woman and ran back towards the hut. They swiftly walked in, and he heard Kaede giving them direction. Rin ran out to go and get water, and then she would leave and hunt for medicinal plants. Kagome would assist with the cleaning and the dressing of the wounds as she could not really go prancing in the woods for plants in her condition. Rin came back with a large bucket of water. She quickly came back out of the hut and ran towards to woods to seek medicinal plants. Sesshoumaru slowly walked to a tree and sat under its shade. He closed his eyes, meditating. Even from this distance, his sensitive ears could pick up the mikos weaken heartbeat. He knew that she was still alive, and wouldn't die immediately. He also had fate in the older miko, he would have taken her to another village.

He had lived many centuries, and over the last few decades, he had felt himself grow wary. A growing boredom was engulfing his life, and nothing could shake him from it. The fight with Naraku, and the end of the disgusting hanyou had been but a small interlude in years of mind killing apathy. No puzzle, no matter its complexity, could hold the demon lord's interest for more than a few instants. He had gone on a mad quest for new literature, innovative forms of arts and brilliant new cures. His thirst for knowledge had somehow enlightened his boring eternity. Today was one of the rare days where he found a puzzle that left him truly perplexed. There before him was a woman, a miko, who carried the scents of all four seasons. Most people, humans or demons, were very simple creature and carried on them the scent of one of the seasons, reflecting the nature of their souls.

If the person was intelligent and logical, and possessed noble intentions, their scent was that of winter. Winter could also be tainted. A clear winter day, where the sun glistened on the white snow where all life slumbered, the air crisp and clean, devoid of heavy smells, could represent one of the purest images of all times. On the opposite, the moon glowing on a battlefield, where blood and gore made the immaculate snow almost black, where the evil was so cold that it permeated the air and made it putrid, was one of the most evil impressions that could be left on a land.

A highly innocent person, one who carried a child like persona, who would easily forgive others and who would not hold a grudge, such a person would smell of spring. Such as all life is reborn with each spring, life returns for a new beginning. Breathless was the sight of an awakening forest, as tree's buds burst open into stunning green leaves, flowers shyly started to show their beautiful petals, animals giving birth to their young, Spring was truly a season of birth. All the scent around spring where about freshly opening flowers, the meadow coming back to life, the air starting to give hints of the warmth to come. Then again, nothing could be sadder then a spring forest fire. If the rains had been scarce, the woods would be dry and lightning or a forgotten fire would get plenty of fuel to run wild and uncontrollable. Perhaps the charred forest was not such a sore sight, compared to the broken promise of what life could have been, had it been allowed to live. That is what caused such a truly, sad picture. Where the scent of spring was present, it could easily be replaced by the acrid scent of a life not allowed to live.

A person whom was a truly generous and giving in nature, one who nurtures and cares for others, one who could comfort any woes, that person held the scent of summer. Summer provides and summer is bountiful. The week can survive without the help of the strong, the pleasant weather allowed the roofless to sleep under the watchful eyes of the stars. Summer had the power of lifting people's sorrows and making their problems disappear. Summer smelt of all the blooming flowers, overpowering your senses, forcing their strong smells onto you. Summers scent was so strong that it was hard to ignore when in its gardens. Summer could also be deadly. If it is too hot, people will die from exposure. Crops will wither from the drought, causing more people to die of hunger. Famine would lead to death, death to pestilence, and the air would be saturated by its foul, nauseating smell.

Someone who had strong family bonds, held high and firm ties of loyalty to his friends and held a strong sense of righteousness smelt of fall. Fall was a time of courting and mating, where one would find one to share its future with. It was also at time when you had to prepare for harder times, therefore prepare supplies for you and your peers to last you throughout the colder months. Fall was filled with earth's scents, strong and powerful, cold winds warmed with the hot sun mixed the essences of the smells that the earth was sending though nature was falling asleep, it laid a blanket of leaves on those who needed it. Through its wisdom, it knew that it was only for a short slumber, so Fall did not fear. Fall could also bring on despair to those without a reason to live on, as the nights where long and the days where short, it was the most dangerous season for the creatures left alone. Any creature, great or small, would die of exposure during the cold fall nights, or would simply be scavenged in a moment of weakness by those who wished to survive. Falls could carry the smell of decay; death of the weak, of the hunted and that of those who did not wish to move on. It could also be a taker of life. It could choose not to protect the week, and leave them behind to fend for themselves. It could be merciless with its winds, urging for early snow. Days were short and nights were long... making the weak even weaker, and giving the predators more time during that season to hunt...

As he pondered on, the great lord demon realized that throughout his long years of existence, he had rarely encountered someone who had, at the same time, more than one season on their scent. Most of the demons on his council where winter, the rest equally split between summer and fall, as he had rarely if never smelt of spring on a demon... One of his close ministers had recently gone from to summer to fall, and he noticed with great interest that this event coincided with him taking a mate, and puping his mate, making him responsible for his mate and the pup. His scent _had_ changed. The two scents did not mingle though.

Most of the mikos he had encountered where spring, their innocence, readiness to save lives and communion with nature often made them spring. His half-brother's mate, the miko Kagome was one of the rare complex humans he had encountered. She was always spring and summer. Hi half-brother was fall.

He heard the females busying themselves in the small hut. He knew his best actions where to stay out of their ways. A few hours after sundown, he got up and knocked softly on the doors frame. Rin came into view, interrogation in her eyes. "It is time for Inuyasha's mate to go home. She needs her rest." He stated. "It's already taken care of, Lord Sesshoumaru! She is already sleeping." She said with a small grin. All she got as an answer was a quick nod from the demon lord.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, called Kaede, we are done dressing the young woman's wounds if ye would care to join us for tea." Not that he cared for the human beverage, but he held enough respect for the old miko to share the beverage with her. He saw Rin running back to the wounded miko, kneeling next to her, as if just her presence could make her better. He walked in and saw the young woman lying on her back under a light sheet which had been drawn to her chin. Her traits where strained from the pain, and her face was devoid of all colors. Her lips where drawn in a line, and blended with the color of her face. Small beads of sweat covered her face, plastering her ebony hair to her forehead. She looked ready to cross to the underworld. Sesshoumaru however knew that she was in no immediate danger, as his Tenseiga was not pulsating, and he could not spot the auras of the netherworld's undertakers. Her heartbeat was weak, but steady.

He sat by the small hut's hearth, feeling the warmth of the fire kiss his face. The older miko came to sit in front of him, letting out a strained sigh. She served two cups of green tea, and extended one to the demon lord. He accepted it, nodding. He looked into the cup, seeing the leaves dancing in the hot liquid. He waited for the older miko to speak. She finally did: "She has lost a large amount of blood... I have never seen someone loose so much and live to see the sun rise again." She stated. His gaze shifted from the cup to the old woman sitting across him. "So you are saying that she will not live through the night?", he asked. She lowered her eyes and nodded. That's when Sesshoumaru noticed how tired she really looked. She had spent a lot of her energy on trying to save the young woman's life, and she was now tired. "You should go to sleep miko", he stated. She looked as though she was going to start arguing. "I will wake you should her condition change" he added. She sighed once again, before getting up and heading for a small enclosed space, from which she drew a small futon and blankets. She laid it on the floor and huddled herself under a warm blanket. He knew sleep came to her quickly, as her breathing became regular and her aura more relaxed. "You too, Rin", he ordered as Rin was fighting off sleep. She nodded, got up, and walked towards Kagome's futon. She quickly lifted the blanket and curled up to the woman she loved as a big sister. She succumbed to sleep even faster than Kaede.

He did not notice any change in the miko's condition until the moon was high in the sky. Her heartbeat had gradually gotten stronger, and some color was returning to her face. By sunrise, her lips had gotten a healthy shade of pink, and a more serene look danced on her sleeping face. A few hours into the day, the women in the hut started stirring in their beds. Rin was the first to wake, and as soon as she sprung out of the covers, she went to see the injured miko. She smiled, satisfied, and grabbed a bucket to go and get water. She quickly bowed to Sesshoumaru, and left the hut in a hurry. The next to rise was the old miko. She walked towards her patient, and was surprised to find her still alive and actually looking better. She bent down and placed her hand on her forehead. The young woman's body was frozen yesterday, unable to keep itself warm. This morning, her temperature was now normal, and her face was starting to display a healthier glow. Kaede was relieved to see that this young woman would live.

Kagome was next to rise, and Sesshoumaru was surprise to see how her traits were drawn. She looked exhausted. Her eyes did not shine with their usual glee, dark rims framing them. Something was wrong with her, yet he could not pinpoint what. Perhaps it was normal for humans so far into their pregnancies to look tired and worn out. '_humans are such weak creatures'_ he thought. Then again, he looked down at the sleeping miko, and found himself quite perplexed. She had survived the night, despite suffering life threatening wounds and lost large amounts of blood. Some humans were interesting.

Her heart had picked up speed, indicating that she would be waking soon. Her breathing also sped up, as her mind emerged from slumber. She started to pick up on the scents surrounding her, as well as the different auras. She felt two other mikos, one young and one old. She also felt a very powerful demonic presence, more powerful than any other that she had ever felt. She also sensed that the two powerful mikos where quite at ease even though a demon was present, so she would, for the moment, rely on their judgment. Something else also caught her attention. The younger miko was pregnant, and the twins that she carried where struggling. Her experience and training as a midwife told her that time was of the essence, and she needed to help the younger woman if her children where to survive.

Sesshoumaru was watching her aura flare with intense interest. She had first started by scanning her immediate environment and detected the mikos. She had then pushed all the way to detecting him. As soon as she had sensed him, she had retracted back to the mikos to sense their ease. He smirked, thinking '_What an interesting person, this miko... it seems that not only does she hold great power, she seems to have a swift intelligence to go with it, interesting indeed...'_ he thought to himself. Something else surprised him, as he felt her aura carefully scanning his younger brother's mate. She must have just felt that she was with pup, and was scanning the pup's aura. He then felt her force herself awake, as if a feeling of urgency had gripped her.

She started fluttering her eyes, and the bright light assaulted her irises as she tried to open them. She sight, and forced herself to open them and face the light. She felt that her wounds had been taken care of, and she had been dressed in a simple sleeping kimono. Her head hurt, and all she wanted to do was to return to sleep, but she was determined to wake up. She looked at a simple straw ceiling. '_Such a simple dwelling,_' she thought to herself. She clenched her jaw as she pushed herself on her elbows. She waited until the spinning subsided, to finish pushing herself in a sitting position. She stared straight ahead, seeing that she was in a wooden hut. '_Where in all of Japan have I ended up?'_ She wondered. She heard movement to her right. "You shouldn't push ye self, child." She heard a woman say. She turned her head to see a pair of worried wrinkled eyes, looking at her. She smiled weakly. Her throat was parched, and she absolutely needed to start replenishing the fluids that her body had lost. She needed to ask for water, but didn't think she would be able to string an entire sentence together. "water, please" she whispered. The older woman whom had been kneeling next to her nodded once and got up. That is when she noticed the man sitting across the fire. She had never before seen such a beautiful person. She also noticed that he was the one from who the powerful demon aura came from. '_How could such beauty hold such evil?_'she wondered. '_The two other mikos are comfortable with him, yet he is a powerful demon.'_ She forced her mind to ease, as she had more urgent matters to tend to.

The old woman brought her a cup of water which she immediately drained. She gave her back the glass and waited. '_This is going to be long, if she brings it to me cup by cup'. _With that thought, the older miko came back with another cup of water, which she drained in the same matter as the first. Once again, she handed the cup back to her. She let out an almost unnoticeable sigh of frustration when the miko came back with the cup. The woman was obviously not young and Sakura felt bad to have her pace back and forth.

What happened next startled her.

"Miko Kaede, a velvety baritone voice spoke, I believe she is attempting to replenish the fluids that she has lost. Perhaps if we keep a few buckets of fresh water close to her, it would be easier for her to drink at her own pace" The demon suggested. Sakura was truly surprised that he had understood her needs from so little observation. The older woman nodded, and signaled to Rin: "Child, move some buckets of water closer to our guest, as lord Sesshoumarou suggested". The young girl, Sakura estimated, must have been 11 or 12 years old. She wore a bright colored kimono and her hair was tied up in a high ponytail. The kid moved a first bucket of water next to Sakura, and she dunked the cup in the cold liquid and started draining several cups. After she was close to the bottom of the bucket, the small girl brought her a second bucket, and lifted the first. "I'm going to fill the bucket again", she said. Her voice was clear and cheerful, and reminded her of many of her young students. She was also very eager to please, and held a good heart. She lacked when it came to spiritual powers, but some of the best healers she knew had no spiritual powers. Sakura knew that if the girl put in as much eagerness in her training with plants, herbs and learn to trust her instincts, she could be a magnificent, sought out healer.

As she worked her way through the second bucket of water, her mind was slowly clearing the fog caused by dehydration and loss of blood. She knew she would need to eat meat and lots of fresh liver if she could get a hand on if, to help with the loss of iron, but she would deal with that later; a more pressing matter required her attention. She started glancing around the small hut where she was, and it was decently sized, if one where on the assumption that only two people lived there. As she had looked around to the other beings in the hut, she clearly ruled out the beautiful lord from living in such a simple habitat. Besides, strange as they might be to her modern eyes, she knew the price of kimonos, and what that man was wearing was no 'every-day' outfit for normal folks. Also, he seemed quite comfortable in his outfit, which suggested that he was used to wearing such formal wear. Her attention then shifted to the pregnant girl. She judged her to be in her late teens to early twenties. She was late in her pregnancy, and experience told Sakura that this woman didn't have a long time to go before she would go through delivery. Two conclusions came to her mind; either the old miko was her mid-wife and she was visiting as a regular check-up, or she was a child-mother, and no husband was present to take care of her, and her family had thrown her to the nearest shrine.

Though not very common, she had seen it in her time, and from what she could tell, she was in a very traditional part of Japan, almost something that was locked in time. She assumed that the child Rin was an orphan, taken in by the shrine, just like Sakura's shrine had taken her in. The older miko was head of the shrine, with all respect that came with such a responsibility. She even noticed that the demon sitting across her showed some form of respect towards the older miko. She would do the same.

Rin came back with a third bucket of water and set it in front of Sakura. Her eyes grew a little wider when she saw that the second bucket was already empty. She then grabbed it and was heading towards the door when a voice unknown to her said: "that will not be necessary, young one. The third bucket you have brought will suffice." Sakura said. No need to work the child for nothing, she would need her to be top shape for the day to come. Her voice sounded a little deeper than usual, but that was from the heaviness she was feeling, as she was still very tired.

She knew good manners and needed to start by a normal round of thanks. "I know that it is not much to offer for the moment, but I would like to offer you my sincere gratitude for tending to my wounds. You have offered this stranger great kindness and find her in your debt." She then followed with the ceremonious bow directed to the older miko. As she raised her head, she saw that the woman was clearly flustered. Sakura mentally checked if she had said anything wrong, or had done any wrongs to the protocols. Seeing the confusion on the younger woman's face, Kaede said: "It is not I that ye should be thanking. Lord Sesshoumarou has found you on the open roads, covered in wounds. He has brought ye here to be healed. I saw it as a great opportunity for young Rin to learn how to tend the wounded. It is I who should be thanking ye." She finished. Sakura felt unsure about how to proceed next. She had been taught of demon society and what it meant to owe a demon your life. She slowly turned towards the demon and said: "Very distinguished lord Sesshoumarou, please let me thank you deeply for your help, and please let me assure you that I have every intention of repaying my debt to you. I have not much to offer, but will accept any repayment that you will impose, as long as it is within my capacity to offer." She knew that these where the proper wordings, as she had learned in her training. As she finished her bow and raised her head, she looked into the demon's golden eyes, and couldn't help but wonder what was going on behind the cold amber stare.

Indeed, she had left much for the demon lord to ponder. She not only had been raised with proper etiquette, but followed a strict code of honor. "Miko, he started in his cold, velvety voice, you have already repaid part of your debt, as you were a learning instrument to this Sesshoumarou's ward. If Rin has learned some of the healing skills that Miko Kaede can teach, then this Sesshoumarou is pleased. As for the other part of your debt, it is a situation that is as unexpected to you as it is to this Sesshoumarou, and he would request that you allow him the night to ponder it through. This Sesshoumarou promises that he will have his request formulated by noon tomorrow. Is that acceptable?"

The younger woman smiled softly, and nodded. "It is quite acceptable, lord Sesshoumarou. Please also know that I will not pressure you into formulating the terms of the repayment of my debt. If by tomorrow, you have not come with a request that fully pleases you, than please know that I will, by no means hold you to it," she paused, knowing that the lord couldn't accept it as is, being honorable and following etiquette, "that is, of course, only if the delay of your request is being put towards repaying my debt to you." She stated. She finished the same way he had: "Is that acceptable?"

The demon was eying her in a calculating way, thinking. She had judged him for what he was, incredibly intelligent, meticulous, cunning, the type of being that hated to make a decision without thinking it through.

"It is acceptable, Miko." He stated. "May this Sesshoumarou know your name, as there are many mikos in this hut, and this Sesshoumarou hates confusion?" He said coldly.

She smiled at how he asked. She had been rude not to introduce herself, but the whole debt aspect had thrown her off. "Opposed to the other inhabitants of this hut and most humans, who would prefer their given names be used, I do not mind the use of a title and being called Miko by the lord Sesshoumarou. However, if you wish to address me by my given name, lord Sesshoumarou, you may address me as Sakura." Her turquoise eyes where now looking at him heavily, giving him something to ponder on. Indeed, all the humans he had come across where adamant about others using their given names, as though that made them special. Even his half-brother's mate had once admonished him to no ends when he had called her miko. She had told him that out of respect, he should address her as Kagome. He never viewed addressing the small woman by her title as lack of respect, on the contrary. It gave him a new level of respect for this strange miko, who acted so different from all other humans he had ever encountered. '_**hell, you've never even encountered a she-demon like her... you've never even encountered a full blooded male demon that held such assurance.**_' He snickered as his other half spoke to him. He was grateful that it wasn't just sputtering insanities about the miko sitting before him, and had to agree with him that she was one of the, if not the single most intriguing creatures he had ever encountered.

He heard the woman sigh: "Well, now that this matter has been settled, there is something that urgently needs my attention." She stated. The demon lord slightly frowned as he followed her movements. She got up slowly, as she did not trust her body to stay upright. When she found her balance, she turned 45 degrees towards the young, pregnant woman, and walked a few steps to close the gap between them.

She knelled in front of the young, doe eyed woman and smiled tenderly. She pulled her right hand up, so that it was about a foot from the woman's large belly, and asked: "may I?" she asked in a tender, soft voice. The younger woman nodded in agreement. She was mesmerized by the woman in front of her. Only a few years older then her, the woman kneeling before her was a ravishing beauty. She looked into the deep turquoise eyes and felt all her worries soothed away, as she felt that the woman in front of her knew what she was doing and that she would trust her with her life if needed.

Sakura needed the younger woman to trust her in order to get her examination on the way. If her initial feeling was right, which where seldom wrong, she would have very little time to do what needed to be done. She placed her hand on the stomach of the younger woman. She felt her slightly tense up. '_It's normal, _she thought_; she's nervous, use your training to calm her...'_ She told herself. "What's your name?" she asked softly. The doe eyed girl answered her "I'm Kagome". Sakura smiled at her: "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Kagome. I'm Sakura. I'm a trained mid-wife and a healer. I have accompanied many women throughout their pregnancies." Sakura didn't like to rush things, but she didn't have a choice. She sensed that he young one before her was scared, and for good reasons. "Kagome, sweetheart, I need to ask, how long has it been since you have felt movement in your womb?" Sakura had made her eyes soft and her tone even softer, but she knew there was no way to alleviate the stress.

Tears started to well up in Kagome's eyes: "about one and a half day..." she said, hesitantly. Kagome felt her body lose control as the tears were threatening to fall. Sakura's back stiffened and she looked at the miko coldly, and said: "listen to me very closely. Yes, the twins that you are carrying are currently in danger, but losing control will not help them. You need to remain strong, and any temper tantrum that you will throw will diminish both yours and the children's strength. Is that understood?" Though she did not wish to be so harsh with the young miko, she needed her to stay rational and not give in to despair. Her gamble paid off, as new resolve shined in Kagome's eyes.

Sakura then felt confident enough to continue the examination of the twins she was carrying. Their aura was somewhat off from what she was used to. She could feel the miko's energy in them, but also felt the demon aura. Her thoughts trailed back to the demon sitting across the fire from them. '_could he be the father?... _she trailed off_... no, there is something else in the twin's aura, almost too much human in their aura to be half and half...'_ as her thoughts trailed, that's where it hit her. The miko's aura had issues flowing with that of the demon.

Sakura sigh heavily. "The father of your twins, he isn't human, is he?" When Kagome shook her head, Sakura continued: "But he isn't fully demon either?" Kagome nod in approval. "The children are related to lord Sesshoumarou, but are not his." Once again, Kagome nodded.

Sakura stayed silent for several seconds to form a plan in her head: "I can't help you alone." When she saw the shear distress written across Kagome's face, she held up her palm to calm her, and said: "Only with lord Sesshoumarou's help may I balance the twin's auras. I only control purification energy, but I need some demonic energy to balance it." What Sakura had said was only a half truth, as normally, she might have been able to do the trick alone, but now that she was so drained, she had hardly any energy to spare, let alone use to do a trickery balancing of energy.

The demon lord was eying her in the same calculating way he had in the past hour. When Sakura saw his eyes, she said in a commanding tone: "though I am requesting this lord Sesshoumarou's help to save these children, I do not feel that this debt should not be on my shoulders. It would be wise to lay it on the mother or the father, and if the most distinguished lord Sesshoumarou, though highly unlikely, does not have an heir, then it might be well appropriate to lay such a debt on the children." She said, in a single breath.

The demon's eyes narrowed, he then quietly spoke: "So, if this Sesshoumarou does not agree to place the debt of the two unborn children on their parents or on themselves, you would not save them?" He asked simply. A sharp pain went through Sakura's heart, as though she had been rapidly stabbed by an ice pick. She knew she was cornered and stated to feel Kagome's aura rise in panic. "Lord Sesshoumarou, if you wish to have this debt added to the one I owe you, so be it. I will not stand by and see these children die." She stated in a cold, emotionless tone.

With that statement, Sesshoumarou knew that he had just bought himself more time; he got up and knelt next to the two mikos. He looked at Sakura and asked: "what do you need me to do?". She turned her body in his direction, and answered: "I first need to get a feel for you aura, your youki and you in general. I'll need you to let me explore your energy with mine, if that if acceptable." She looked at his, her turquoise eyes filled with doubt.

He lowered his head so that his mouth could be close to her ear, : "If that is necessary, you may do all the exploration you wish." He stated. He smirked as a light blush flushed her cheeks, and watched her intently as she regained control. She placed both her hands on his chest, and he could feel the energy throbbing though them. He didn't mind, as he felt no malice from the gesture. He let her energy envelop him, wrapping him in a soft blanket of _her_. He was surprised at how he actually enjoyed her touch and the feeling of her aura. She was quite gentle, and though her personality was quite assertive, he felt that her aura had gentleness to it in the way it was exploring his, as though she did not want to be too intrusive. He also felt her experiment on mixing her aura and his, to fuse both and get a new energy from it. She did this until he felt her satisfied with the balance. She suddenly withdrew, leaving him disappointed, as he enjoyed what she was doing. It was a most intimate touch; more intimate that he had ever felt.

He let her move away, as she got back to Kagome, who was staring at the whole thing with wide eyes. Sakura positioned both her hands on Kagome's stomach, and looked up to Sesshoumarou and said: "I would need you to place both your hands on mine please" Sesshoumarou smirked, and placed himself behind Sakura, her back firmly planted on his chest, as he positioned his hands on hers. He felt her warmth through her thin sleeping kimono and enjoyed what he was feeling. He also could get a better smell of her, and used his vantage point to nuzzle his nose in her hair, where her skull met her neck, getting a better smell of her. His assessment of her carrying the scent of the four seasons on her was correct and he could sense in her that one of the scents where currently stronger; Fall. Her protective family instincts had kicked in, and she wanted to protect the younger miko, as she was one of their own, but also was afraid for the pups that she bore. Her miko instinct dictated that she needed to protect life, and that she would do, even if it meant that she would be responsible for the debt linked to the two lives present in Kagome's womb.

Sakura had let herself be distracted for a moment as she felt the strong, muscular arms wrap around her. She even took a moment to dwell on the hard chest pressed on her back. She felt all the muscles pressed against her, as well as the appendage that was pressed against her bosom. His warmth spread through her body. Never had a man held her in such a tender embrace, and she had to shake the thoughts that were slowly creeping at the back of her mind. She had to focus on the task ahead. She was also slightly distracted by the markings on his left hand, thinking to herself '_Is that a curse? Who in their right mind would put a hex on such a powerful demon and actually think they could live to tell the tale?'_ Once again, she willed these thoughts to the back of her mind, concentrating on the task at hand.

Kagome was watching a strange spectacle take place in front of her. First, the odd miko had balanced her aura with that of her brother-in-law, but had then allowed him to embrace her in an almost sensual stance. She then felt Sakura shift her attention from the demon holding her to the pups in her womb. She then started a complex balancing of energy that only a reiki master could accomplish. She skilfully mixed her own energy with that of the demon's, and then carefully basked the pups in it. Kagome felt a warm embrace wash over her, as she felt that everything would be safe, and that her pups would be alright. She was about to succumb to slumber when she felt something that jolted her back to reality. Two distinct thumps within her, exactly where Sakura's hands where resting, made Kagome's eyes water once again.

Sakura ignored Kagome's shift in emotions. Her stance needed to remain in order to save the pups. The physical reaction she had just felt below her palms was just an indication that her guess calculation of the balancing was right, and she needed to poor in more of that mixture into the twins to save them. She also used some of the demons' strength to convert into her own energy. If not, she would have run out before the balancing was complete. She was half-ways done when she felt the demon embracing her stiffen. She continued pouring energy into the pups, but let her aura follow the demons' energy. Being so close, she easily followed where he was leading her. She picked on something unexpected, thoughts that were not hers, creeping into her mind: '_**filthy half-beast, why is he interfering?' **_ a husky voice spoke_... 'He is here because he is concerned for his mate and pups' _a cool, rational voice said. _**'yes, but he will be interfering with what she is doing... she is making his pups better, she is saving his pups... they are our blood as well, and she is saving them, he must not interfere...' **_ the husky voice said, in a pleading voice. '_Yes I know, _the velvety voice purred, _she is saving them and I am helping. Once he gets here, we will find a way to stop him from interfering.' _

She was truly shell-shocked. She didn't know if what she had heard was really the demon's thoughts, but would eventually find out. Sooner than later, the light bamboo screen where ripped open. Sakura glanced quickly at the man in the entrance and fit in the missing pieces of her puzzle. The man there was the father of the pups, and brother to the demon. '_half-brother'_ she corrected herself. He was angry that her mate was not where he had left her, and the vision of her, a stranger and his estranged half-brother pressing their hands to her womb did not help his anger. Sakura noticed the rosary around his neck and started pushing her aura against it. A word came to her mind, and made her smile slightly. She had a feeling that she was dealing with dog demons when she uttered the words of the enchanted beads; "Sit Boy"

As Inuyasha face planted into the soil, Sakura smirked to herself. Though she was being faced with demons stronger then she had ever faced, her training was coming through. As Inuyasha was getting up from his command, he had started uttering insanities directed towards her and the mother of his children. Sakura's aura spiked at the less then courteous comments, and she said it as a Buddhist monk would have chanted a mantra: "sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit..." As she was singing the words, she didn't notice the other beings in the hut staring at her in weary glances. When she finally finished, everyone was convinced that Inuyasha had perished, as he was probably so deep in to the earth that his physical body had now reached the underworld.

Once the troublesome person was silenced, she finished balancing the pup's auras. It was no easy task as everyone around was on edge. She let herself drown in the demon's energy, then producing the proper balance with her own and feeding it to the pups. She had to admit that it was not all for the pups, as she was quite weak and needed to keep some of the demonic energy for herself, so that she would not pass out from the strain. Against her better judgment, she had to admit that she did enjoy the demon's aura around her...

Once again, she felt a push in her mind as thoughts that were not hers crept in: _**'she stopped him, dead in his tracks... she is strong...'**_ purred a husky voice. '_Yes she is strong, no other then Kagome should be able to use the bead's command. How was she able to?...' _as his thoughts trail _**'because she can hear us, hear our thoughts... she found a way to stop the confrontation so that the pups would be safe... She knows that the pups are weak and need this treatment and could not survive without it; she is a strong one... Her fear for the pups has given her innate abilities control over the rosaries... such a strong woman...'**_ purred the husky voice.

Sakura did not understand what was happening, but she did recognize one of the voices as Sesshoumarou's, and one as 'the other' as she would call it for the moment felt that the twins where now strong enough and she started cutting the flow of energy leaving her body. She removed her hands from Kagomes' stomach and rested them on her thighs, waiting for the demon to do the same thing. To her surprise, he did not instantly retract his aura. _**'Don't let her go yet, we enjoy the feeling of her body against ours... she is so warm and alive, no she-demon has ever felt like her. Let us have some more...'**_ pleaded the husky voice, in an almost whining voice. Sakura slightly tensed as she heard the voice. _'You got her tensed, you obscene creature, we have to let go of her. Unless she is willing, there will be no other physical contact.'_ Answered Sesshoumarou's voice in a scowl. Sakura's cheeks turned a dark shade of pink at the implications and her body stiffened even more.

Realizing that the small woman in his arms was now stiff as a rod and waiting for him to let go of her, he took one last sniff of her delicious scent, and withdrew his demonic aura from enveloping her, as she withdrew hers. He removed his arms from around her and slowly rose to his feet, and went back to sit next to the fire. Her scent covered him, and he was quite happy with that. _**'We like being covered in her scent... She smells so good... Our little miko of the four seasons...'**_ the other said, in a slurred speech, as though he was drunk on just her scent.

When Sakura heard the name 'miko of the four seasons' she frowned instantly and turned her eyes to the demon. His eyes were closed and an expression of utter bliss was covering his face. She then noticed that both Kagome and Kaede where exchanging sideway glances to Sesshoumarou. Sakura assumed that the cold calculating demeanor that she had earlier seen was his usual self, and to see him so relaxed was unnerving for both women. As she sensed Kagome's anxiety rise, Sakura let go of a quiet sigh, and said: "It is a side effect from the merging of our energies. Call it a little bit of bliss. He'll be back to his normal, charming self by tomorrow morning." Kagome seemed to relax. She gave Sakura a brilliant smile, and rubbed her bulging stomach. "They are kicking like crazy now," She squealed in delight. Sakura was relieved that the balancing had helped, but they weren't done yet. She placed a warm hand on Kagome's cheek, and said tenderly: "That is a good sign. Now, you need to rest, while I go and prepare a few things. Tomorrow morning, you will be giving birth."

Kagome's eyes grew wide, and another wave of panic struck her: "But I'm not due for another few weeks, what if the babies are too small, how can..." Once again, Sakura cut short her streak of panic by putting a finger on the girl's lips. "Panic will not help the twins. They are big enough and strong enough to live, but I am afraid that they will not be able to live long if they stay in your womb..." She trailed off until she was sure the younger woman was paying full attention, she continued: "Your miko powers are quite strong, and since the father is not a full demon, their demonic aura does not possess the necessary strength to push your purification energy. That part of them is being attacked by your powers, which is why they need to come out. I know of herbs that will induce the birth process. First of all, we need to get some iron into you, to strengthen you for the birth." She stated in a confident tone.

She had been mid-wife to many births, and helped many women go through the fears of birthing. Sakura knew what she was doing, and that confidence made it easy for her to gain the emotional woman's trust. A groan came from the man sized crater, and slowly a hand emerged. The pointy eared half-demon slowly pulled himself from the ground and crawled towards his mate. He was unable to get up, as his back refused any kind of flexibly. He looked at the other woman that was kneeling next to her, stared at her with a death glare and growled as he got closer. He noticed that the other woman was a few years older than his mate, and carried a heavy smell of blood. She was paler then the moon and he assumed that she had recently been injured. She smiled a warm smile at him, got up and knelled next to his side. He felt uncomfortable, as he could not move nor see what she was doing. He looked up at Kagome, which in turned flashed him a warm, bright smile. He relaxed slightly when he felt warmth crawl from his lower back, all the way to his shoulders. The pain was slowly leaving to be replaced by a pleasant tingling where the energy was dancing on his skin. He fully relaxed, and was almost disappointed when the energy withdrew.

He was now able to pull himself up on his knees and was able to turn to see the mysterious woman. He noticed that her breathing had become slightly ragged and beads of sweat now covered her forehead. Her turquoise eyes where slightly dull, and seemed to be staring out through him. He understood that she had used what little energy she had left to heal his back. She was wearing a sleeping kimono, and where the panes of fabric met, he could see bandages going up to her breasts. He had been right to assume that she had recently been injured and had lost large amounts of blood. "Oi wench, you shouldn't have wasted your energy on me, I have youkai blood, I heal quickly..." Inuyasha paused when he heard a low growl. He turned his head, and that's when he noticed his half brother sitting across the fire. He then saw Sesshoumarou's long fluffy tail move towards the frail woman, wrap around her small body and pull her towards him. He had her lay down, her head on his lap, his entire tail covering her body so she would not be cold. It was one of the weirdest images Inuyasha had ever witnessed. He was shell-shocked. He turned towards his mate, and Kagome gave him a tired smile. He knew that eventually someone would fill him in on the situation, but for now, his mate needed to rest. He returned the smile, and she lied down, preparing herself for the night.

He heard the young woman lying next to Sesshoumarou speak weakly: "Kaede sama, I will require your help on preparing what is needed for tomorrow. Kagome needs to eat some fresh liver, to boost the iron in her blood to make her stronger. The liver of a bore should suffice. Also, I need you to check if you have a few herbs in your pharmacopeia that induce birth." With that said she closed her eyes and fell into a dreamless slumber, exhausted.

The old woman swiftly raised and headed for her herb cabinet. She could tell from the younger miko's manners and cunning use of words that she had been given a superior education, as she was proper and well versed in both human and demon culture. She had the necessary herbs to induce labor that she was confident of. Her other request, that the pregnant miko ate a whole fresh liver, she was more than apprehensive of. "Inuyasha," she spoke, "Ye shall have to go hunting for ye mate, child."

Inuyasha's ears perked on the top of his head as she spoke his name. He had heard the strange woman's orders, and wasn't certain what to make of it. He did not want to leave his mate alone, especially when in such a vulnerable state. However, his mother had thought him a special liver-based potion that made your blood thicker and stronger. He would prepare this for her, which was the least he could do for her...

He got up to go and gather the ingredients needed for his potion. As he was headed for the door, a pale hand grabbed him by the wrist. Hi half-brother looked at him, his deep amber eyes reflecting his own. "If I tell you of a grazing land, where bores go to eat worry free on this very night, would you bring back a second beast, so that the woman who saved your unborn pups may regain some of her strength?"He spoke softly, so that the woman sleeping softly on his laps would not awaken.

"Keh," he grunted, "I'll not only do that, but I'll make a double portion of a family potion so that the wenches will be feeling like new in the morning." He answered gruffly. He marched out into the night, to begin his hunt for the necessary ingredients.

Sesshoumarou smirked as his half brother marched out. He was finally free to let his eyes roam on the miko sleeping in his lap. Her skin was quite pale, and he knew that it would remain so, even once her strength returned; he knew that it would never have the sun-kissed look his half brother and his mate shared. She would remain as pale as the moon. The demon lord suspected that she did not like her name, which is why she so readily accepted him calling her miko, but he had to admit that Sakura was a more than appropriate name for her. Her dark cherry lips contrasted her pale skin, and truly looked like the center of the beautiful cherry blossoms that bloomed in spring.

His eyes moved down to her neck and collar bone, where he saw that the skin was heavily scared. He frowned, thinking '_who is this woman? She acts like a competent healer, yet bears the scars of a warrior. How can she be a protector of life, yet a fighter?' _He wondered. His eyes wondered to her hands, both of which rested on her stomach. Her right hand was slightly turned upright, giving him sight of the callousness of her palm, strengthening his theory that she was a strong fighter. '_Just who are you, little one?'_ He asked once again, dumbfounded. '_if your hands speak of who you are, you would not have saved those pups and burdened yourself with their debts... you however refused to let them die. You also pushed yourself awake, and forced yourself to regain strength, though you could have remained in your peaceful slumber while your wounds healed. Why jeopardize your own strength to do such a thing?' _

Such a selfless act, contradicting the nature of the warrior, truly intrigued the young demon lord. He knew that far in their pasts, there had been warrior mikos, but they had quickly moved from that bloody path and become pacifists, life protectors, quite close to the Buddhist monks. '_Perhaps she traveled from an ancient time...' _he had heard many tales of his brother's mate, talking of her travels to a time in the distant future. That came to him as a somewhat reasonable explanation. After all, she was well versed in customs of both demons and humans, and seemed to hold respect for rank, thing that his brother's mate did not possess. Indeed, when he had come across the younger miko, Kagome came off as somewhat of a ruffian to him. He had to concede that she was incredibly powerful though her raw talents where yet to be mastered. She could have been a spectacular miko, if she only not spoke such words that her thong nearly begged him to rip it out of her mouth. She had explained to him that in her time, women and men stood as equals, and women could speak their minds as they wished. He understood the concept, but still did not agree with the profanity that poured out of her lips, just as he disagreed with it when it came out of any man's mouth. He just thought that is was inappropriate.

Though wounded and on the brinks of the netherworld, the miko Sakura had proven that she had proper manners and a strong sense of honor, which he respected. He closed his eyes and breathed in her scent. He then felt strangely relaxed, as he remembered her saying that this feeling was some sort of side effect from the bonding of energy. She had said "A little bit of bliss..." whatever that bliss thing was, he knew he wanted to feel some more of it. He rested his head against the wood wall behind him and let himself be bathed in the feelings that showered him; feelings of peace, quiet, safety... He had not been in such a relaxed state since he was a pup, and he did not want it to end by daybreak. He then allowed himself something he had never indulged in when in the presence of humans; he let himself drift into a peaceful slumber, where memories of a happy past came to dance into his mind's eye, memories where he was safe and protected...

Unbeknownst to the demon lord, someone had been watching him while he carefully examined Sakura, and then let himself slip into slumber. A deep frown etched the forehead of the elderly miko, as she started to worry for the young woman sleeping in the demon's lap. '_I hope ye are strong enough child, for there are many hardships that come your way. To have a demon take too much interest in ye is never a good thing...' _Her thoughts trailed off as she looked at the herbs held in her hands. She knew that she needed to boil them for over 6 hours for them to have full effects. '_This is going to be a long night...'_ She thought.

The sun rose the next morning, unaffected by the lives warmed by its' rays. When she felt warmth on her cheeks, Sakura started to stir, not willing to return to consciousness yet. She had never been a morning person, and hated waking up in the morning. She found the sun too bright and always resented it. She preferred the subtleties of the moon, how her graceful rays bathed her surroundings in a light hue. Besides, she felt so good where she was lying; her head was resting on a hard, hot silky pillow, her body warm and wrapped in the softest fur she had ever felt. Her mind snapped back to attention when she remembered where she was. '_hard, hot silky pillow... soft fur...'_ She forced her eyes to open, to notice that she was on what looked like a cloud of white fluff around her. Her hands slowly ran in the fur, only to feel it react to her touch. '_Not good... just what did you fall asleep on?...'_ her thoughts were interrupted by a low chuckle. Her eyes flew open as she felt her head slightly bouncing up with every chuckle.

"Did you sleep well, miko Sakura?" A deep, silky voice said, in what sounded like a near whisper. She quickly scanned the area with her miko senses. The pregnant woman and Rin were still sleeping. The older miko Kaede was nodding off at the fire, while the half demon was outside the hut. She felt a pang of guilt, as she knew that the older woman had stayed awake all night to prepare the tea that would start the whole birthing process for the younger woman. Her senses also told her that her 'pillow' was nothing less than the demon lord's lap, and her fluffy comfortable bed was his tail.

Letting a small sigh escape her lips, she pushed herself up, leaving the warmth of the demon created bed, feeling dizzy as she did. She closed her eyes to help her steady herself. Her body commanded her to lie back down, seek the warmth that he offered. She refused to give in and instead stretched, and let out a heavy yawn. When she opened her eyes, she found herself looking into deep amber eyes. If she didn't know better, she would have sworn that a playful grin danced on his lips. She felt a blush come across her cheeks, as she quickly moved away from him. "I apologize, lord Sesshoumarou, I do not remember how I came to sleep on your lap... I meant no disrespect..." Her voice trailed off.

"This Sesshoumarou placed you there, as you had spent the last of your strength on healing the half-beast. You seemed to be cold so this Sesshoumarou ensured that your body would not lack warmth. You do not need to apologize, nor thank this Sesshoumarou, as he found your presence by his side quite pleasant." He stated, simply. He smirked as he saw her blush an even deeper shade of pink, her blush extending to the top of her ears. She bowed quickly and got up, straightening her sleeping kimono as she did. She walked towards the sleeping pregnant woman, and rested her hand on her stomach, a frown touching her forehead.

"Kaede Sama, are your herbs ready?" She spoke quietly, so that she would not awaken the sleeping mother-to-be. "Aye, they are child, I just need to cool down the liquid. Ye will be able to use them in about an hours' time." Answered the older woman. Sakura sigh, and asked: "How long will it take until she is fully dilated and ready to push out the children?" Kaede wore a stern look on her face when she answered: "I have never used these herbs to induce birth, however I have been told anywhere between 3 and 12 hours."

Sakura frowned at the woman's statement. '_12 hours will be too long, the twins will not last longer than 5 hours, 6 at most... think fast!' _her thoughts ran wild, at the different possibilities. She sniffed the tea that the older woman had concocted. '_Oh yes, this will induce birth all right, but not fast enough...' _She finally thought of an acceptable plan. "Kaede sama, please boil down your mixture until it resembles tree sap. Once it does, please add some raspberry shrub leaves to the mix and let simmer for 5 minutes. This will force the birth to take place 1 to 2 hours following ingestion." She stated, in a confident tone. The older woman complied, and added logs to the fire to make it warmer. Sakura also asked: "Has she been fed the liver?" Worried glances for the older miko told her that she had not. Sakura's stomach curled in a tight knot '_what if she is not strong enough, we could lose all three of them'_ she thought quickly.

Her change of moods did not go unnoticed by the demon lord. He raised an eyebrow and spoke in his baritone voice: "My half-brother is preparing a family remedy, which he claims will have you both as good as new. From the smell of whatever foul potion he is preparing, I would give an educated guess that it is a concentrate of livers of different beasts that he has slain throughout the night." He finished in a cold, dissociated voice, as if simply reading his words from a school manual.

Almost as if on cue, Inuyasha stepped in holding two glasses of the remedy. He stepped towards his sleeping mate, nudged her awake, and forced the liquid in her mouth. She wasn't fully awake and hardly put in any resistance. Sakura watched in interest, as she was most intrigued by this mysterious concoction. As soon as he had eased Kagome back to her pillow, Inuyasha turned towards the woman who had saved his pups' lives. As he walked closed to her, he saw Sesshoumarou pull his right sleeve over his face to cover his sensitive nose from the stench. Even the human was starting to grow uncomfortable from the stench, and started squirm on the ground. He smirked slightly, when he stopped in front of her and handed her the glass. She eyed the murky brown liquid as her nose drew in short, ragged breaths. She slowly drew her hand to the cup, and repressed a gag when she held it close to her face. "What is it?" She asked.

Inuyasha once again smirked, and answered smugly: "Do you really want to know? You might not want to drink it if you knew..." He trailed off, grinning evilly. Her eyes drew in a slit, and shot him daggers. Inuyasha's ears drew flat against his head, half expecting to be sat into oblivion once again. He had forgotten the sitting he had gotten a few hours ago; he should have put a leash on his thong of his and just answered the question. Instead of sitting him, she closed her eyes and took a deep sniff of the liquid. She slowly dissected the smells, and the demon lord had been right in his assessment. The broth was nothing more than the livers of many beasts crushed, blended and boiled down to make a concentrate. She picked at the different scents, and drew a deep sip from the cup. She didn't mind liver, but preferred it raw, as she found that when cooked had a pasty feel to it. It brought a small smirk to her lips, as she remembered the people around her had always found her taste for raw foods quite disgusting. As she was drinking the liver concoction, she couldn't help but wonder if it would taste as awful had it been raw. She emptied the glass and handed it to the shell-shocked half demon sitting across her. The taste of the broth still swirling around her mouth, when she spoke: "Bore, rabbit, carp, trout, weasel, ferret, horse, bear, beaver, wolf and cat." She stated. Inuyasha's eyes grew wide. Before he could even start a coherent sentence, she spoke: "I hope that you have kept the carcasses of those you have slain, so that their sacrifices will not go in vain and a large feast can be organized."

His eyes still wide, Inuyasha finally found his words and said: "The carcasses are all outside, and are still in good shape to be used for tonight." She smiled a warm, beautiful smile. Her eyes sparkled like the sea after a stormy night. Inuyasha loved his mate deeply, and found that she was his days and his nights, but he was simply smitten by the beauty of the woman that was before him. He had noticed that her scent was quite different from any other being he had ever encountered. It held such depth and complexity...

He watched her as one would watch the stars, the moon, the clouds and the sun... Stars sparkled and held such light, came back every night, enticing, a promise of the new day to come, yet were cold as rocks... the moon, beautiful, bountiful as she reached a roundness that made her look as round and full of life as his dear mate, yet cold in the way that she would shine away, day after day, almost as her crescents where sad grins... The clouds, bearer of rain, plentiful and needed for the crops to grow, also washing away the dirt and the sins that covered the lands, almost allowing it rebirth, while those same clouds could bring about the coldest of snow, covering the lands and forcing it into slumber, as all would submit to its cold embrace... And the sun, bringing warmth and light to all those whom basked in its rays, needed to grow crops, but also to light their days, could turn into a merciless killer when the rain was scarce, when the days where long, could bring people to their deaths with its relentless rays... Inuyasha looked at the woman in front of her with a renewed sense of awe. He had never felt this way for anything or anyone in his life. He imagined that if he had believed in any of the old deities, he would feel such reverence towards her as he would the most powerful kami out there.

Sakura slowly tilted her head, as the half-demon was staring at her with a dumbfounded look in his eyes. "Is something wrong with my face, Inuyasha?" she asked politely. The half demon blushed furiously and got up. "Keh, no wench, I was just surprised that you were able to figure out all the ingredients for my family recipe..." He stated, gruffly. Her eyes narrowed slightly: "Inuyasha, I would prefer it if you would use my given name, Sakura, or my title, miko, when addressing yourself to me. I believe that I have been quite polite when speaking with you, I would request that you return the courtesy."

Inuyasha's eyes flew wide when she spoke to him. Never had words cut into his soul like hers did. She had spoken on a soft tone, almost hurt as she stated her demands. Inuyasha started to see where his lack of a proper education and manners had left him truly clueless on how to respond when someone showed him respect. He bowed his head in submission and looked at the ground, therefore missing his half-brother's surprised look as he did so, and said: "I apologize Miko Sakura; I have meant you no disrespect when speaking to you... I was not raised fancy and in the ways of the court, and..." He choked on his words, not knowing what to say next.

Sakura started to giggle, as Inuyasha was obviously not a man for words. Her soft laughter made him look at her, and she somehow realized how distressed he was. She extended her hand and placed it on his cheek, and said in an extremely soft voice: "I'm not looking for apologies; I wasn't raised fancy either... I would just like it if you used something more personal when you address me" She said, winking to him. She removed her hand from his cheek, and saw that he was fighting tears from escaping his eyes. She wanted to give him a chance to leave the hut, so she said: "I believe you said the carcasses of the slain animals are still in good shape, how about you go and start preparing the meat for tonight's feast?" She spoke, and smiled warmly at him. That was the only excuse that he needed to leave the hut, glad to be out in the open. He seldom felt vulnerable, but that woman somehow made him feel both completely relaxed, and extremely on edge... he did not like it...

As Inuyasha bolted out of the hut, the demon lord couldn't help but wonder. He had smelt the salt of the unshed tears in his half brother's eyes, had sensed his confusion, when the miko had looked at him and spoken in a soft tender voice. He knew that Inuyasha had gone through many hardships, and that the smirk exterior that he projected was a way to keep people at bay to avoid getting hurt. This woman had somehow cut trough this barrier and touched a part of his soul, and the halfbeast was not used to it.

Sakura got to her feet and knelt next to the sleeping woman. She pressed an experienced hand on her forehead, sensing her energy levels, then moved her hand to her stomach and extended her energy to the twins. She was glad to feel them react to her spiritual nudge, meaning that they would be strong enough to go through the birthing process. She felt her own energy returning, and had to admit that the liver concoction that the half demon had served her was doing the trick. She got up and walked to the still sleeping Rin, bent down and shook her shoulders gently. Brown, sleep glazed eyes stared back at her: "Wake up little one; we have a busy morning ahead of us." Spoke the miko. Rin sat up and smiled back to the gentle woman. "Did Rin hear correctly, miko Sakura, is Kagome's pups going to be born this morning?" She asked. Sakura was surprised at her speech patterns, as she addressed herself in the third person, and had adopted the name the demon lord had given her. "Yes, you have heard correctly, Rin. Kagome's children will be born this morning." She stated, matter-of-factly. "I will need your assistance, little one. Do you feel up to it?" She asked, smiling. The girl's eyes grew with excitement, and she looked like she was about to jump out of her skin. She turned her head towards the demon lord and squealed in delight: "Did you hear, Sesshoumarou sama? Rin is going to assist with the birth of Kagome's pups!"

The demon lord nodded, and said: "Yes Rin, this Sesshoumarou has excellent ears and has heard what Miko Sakura has said. I am certain that she will prove to be a more than adequate teacher to guide you through this." He answered. He saw Sakura frown lightly at his comment. She then turned to Kaede and said: "For how long has this child been learning our ways, Kaede sama?" She asked the older woman. "Rin had been left under my supervision by lord Sesshoumarou approximately ten moons ago." She answered. The frown on Sakura's forehead deepened as she spoke: "She's been here for nearly a year and this will be the first birth she assists?" She asked. The old miko's eyes were strained from lack of sleep. "We are a small village, and this will be the first birth since Rin has arrived. I assure you that I will guide her so that she is no hindrance to you." Kaede answered back.

Sakura sigh heavily, weighing her options, bringing her right index to her temple, rubbing small circles. '_Kaede is obviously exhausted and needs to go get some rest. She is old and a sleepless night has taken its toll on her. The girl is eager, I've handled plenty of inexperienced children, and this will not be so hard, as it will be a rapid birth.' _She thought. "That will not be necessary, Kaede sama. You have already done much. You are tired and need some rest. I have delivered enough children that I can do it alone." As small whine from the girl told her that she feared to be excluded from the birth. Before Rin could say anything, Sakura continued: "I have also trained many young mikos, and I do not mind having an inexperienced assistant." The smile returned to Rin's face. Sakura attitude changed, her shoulders straightened slightly as she spoke: "The only condition I have is that you obey my every words. Births are hard on the body, and you will see the woman you care about in pain. There will also be a lot of blood. If at anytime I feel you panic, I will order you out of the hut and proceed with the birthing alone. I will not tolerate any arguments on your part, is that understood." Rin gave her a grateful smile, and answered back: "Rin will do as she is told. Rin has seen a lot of blood, and is not afraid of it. She will obey your instructions, miko Sakura sensei." Sakura chuckled at the string of politeness that Rin used around her name.

"Very well, we need to get some water boiling, and prepare towels." Sakura stated. Rin jumped to her feet, grabbed two buckets and ran off to get some water. She turned slightly towards the demon lord and said, with a quiet chuckle: "She's an eager little thing, that ward of yours." The demon lord nodded in agreement. Her face hardened slightly as she spoke again: "If I have to dismiss her during the birth, nothing will make me let her come back in the hut, not even you, Lord Sesshoumarou. Is that clear?"

The demon lord was surprised to say the least. Never had anyone spoken to him in such tone and lived to tell the tale. When his amber eyes looked into the fierce turquoise eyes that held his gaze, he knew that there was no point in arguing with the head strong female. "This Sesshoumarou will not interfere in the birthing. It is a matter of females and males have not a word to say in the ways it transpires."

His answer caused Sakura to raise an eyebrow as she spoke: "Are you saying that you were not present when your mate gave birth to your children?" She asked, softly. The demon lord was too flabbergasted to answer. _'Be present during the birthing, how can she even suggest such an outrageous thing! I have never heard of any male being in the same room as a whelping female...'_ He noticed that her eyes were still on him, and he remembered her asking him a question. "This Sesshoumarou has not yet mated with a bitch." He answered, in a cold, distant voice. Sakura smiled warmly at him, and said: "I see... then when you do chose a mate and make her pregnant, I do recommend that you be present during the birth. Most men that have done so have told me that it was a most enlightening experience."

She had spoken so gently, in a quiet resolve. The demon lord was surprised that he was not angry with her. She had spoken outrageous none-sense, but had said it in such a candid way that he could not find it in him to be angry. "This Sesshoumarou will remember your advice" he answered, in a non-committal way. She nodded softly. Neither Sakura nor Sesshoumarou had noticed the pair of wrinkled eyes that was staring at them the whole time. Kaede had watched the strange exchange of words between the miko and the demon lord, and she feared for the young woman's life. To her surprise, the demon lord had answered the miko in a courteous tone, almost respectful, and even acknowledging her advice. This had to be one of the strangest events she had seen in her long years, and she had seen plenty of strange.

Sakura walked towards the exit and moved the screen sideways. She softly called: "Inuyasha, could you please return to the hut?" She had hardly raised her tone, as she was certain that his sensitive ears could pick up what she said. She went back to kneel close to Kagome. The pregnant woman was starting to wake, and was startled to see turquoise eyes staring back at her. "How are you feeling?" Sakura asked. Kagome gave her a smile as she sat up: "That thing Inuyasha served me is really foul, but boy, does it work! I feel amazing" she answered back. Sakura smiled and said: "Good, I'm glad to hear it."

Inuyasha walked into the hut to find his mate awake. "Keh, of course it works!" Both women smiled back at him. Sakura spoke directly to him: "Inuyasha, come and sit behind Kagome to give her some support." Inuyasha didn't like being ordered around, but would accept it from her. He went behind Kagome and positioned her between his legs. He sat down, and Kagome was able to rest her back on his chest. "Thanks Inuyasha" purred Kagome.

By that time, Rin had returned and had started to boil it over the fire. Sakura turned her head towards the child and spoke: "Rin, we will also need some cold water. Could you please go and get two more buckets?" Rin smiled, glad to be helpful, and answered: "My pleasure, miko Sakura sensei!" and she ran off. She turned her attention back to Kagome, once again brushing her aura against hers, as well as that of the twins. She was satisfied with what she was getting and said: "It's time to begin. From what I smell, the liquid has been boiling for long enough to reach full potency." She got up to fetch a small cup so the older miko could poor it in. She smiled at Kaede, saying gently: "And it's time for you to get some rest. From what I can see, it's a beautiful day for a nap under a tree."

Kaede smiled, and started getting up. She noticed that the demon lord was rising as well, as if on cue. Sakura turned her head, laughter brightening her eyes: "You will not stay and witness the birth, lord Sesshoumarou?" His eyes narrowed in a death glare, throwing daggers at her. "No, miko Sakura, I will take my leave for now." He stated, in his cool, emotionless voice. She smiled at the answer. When she saw Inuyasha starting to get up, her face turned hard and she said, in a voice even colder then Sesshoumarou: "And where do you think you're going, mister?"

If years of training and restrained hadn't kicked in, the demon lord would have probably found himself roaring in laughter at the face that his younger half brother was displaying. It was a mixture of panic and surprise. He looked like a prey having met a fierce predator, knowing that escape would only delay the inevitable. Without answering, he resumed his position, still looking at the strange miko. Her face changed from stone to a warm smile when she said: "This position is the best for the father, as it gives support to lower back of the woman; it allows you hold her hand, and also allows you to wipe down her face. You're also close to her ears, so she can hear you at all times" The demon lord took one last look at Inuyasha's face and let out a soft chuckle as he exited the hut, followed quickly by Kaede. He nearly bumped into an over-zealous Rin who was returning with the cold water. He went to sit under a nearby tree to meditade.

Back in the hut, Kagome chuckled lightly. She knew that the men from this time were not accustomed to being present during the birth of their children. She had been apprehensive of giving birth for that very reason. She did not want to be alone. This miko was a gift from the heavens. She seemed to intimidate the crap out of her mate, but she had a soothing effect on people. Even her brother in law seemed to find her soothing. She had never heard anyone jolly him that way and live to tell the tale. One thing that worried Kagome is that Sesshoumarou seemed fascinated by her. She had never seen him fascinated by anyone, let alone a human, and that was cause to worry.

Sakura walked over to Kagome, cup in hand. She handed it to her, and waited until she drank the strong, pungent liquid. Her lips curled in a slight snarl at the bitter taste, but drained the cup. She handed it back to Sakura. Accepting the cup, Sakura said: "It shouldn't be long now, about 30 minutes, that you'll experience your first contractions, as well as your water breaking. Since it will not be a long birth, you might not be fully dilated and tear slightly. Rin, I'll need you to find me a needle and some thread. We might have to do a few stitches." Sakura laughed at the face Inuyasha was displaying. He was so shocked. He had heard of 'stitches' a few times from Kagome. She had said that in her time, when someone got a cut or an injury that was very deep, the healers would bring the skin tissue back together with them; similar to the way clothes was held together. She has also told him that only a skilled hand could do such thing. He paled at the realization of where the 'tearing' and the 'stitches' would be. '_Birthing is really a thing that should be kept amongst women'_ he thought.

Rin was off with her new quest. She sped out of the hut towards Kaede. She stopped and asked her: "Kaede sama, do you know where I could find a thread and needle?" The older woman frowned, and then answered: "Hai, I do. But tell me first child, why do you require such things now?" Rin thought for thirty seconds to remember the exact words that her sensei had spoken: "Miko Sakura sensei told Rin that the birth would be very fast, and that Kagome might not be dilated enough, and that she might tear, and that she might need a few stitches"

The older woman told Rin where she would find a needle and thread in her hut, and finished by telling her: "Please ask Sakura to let me witness her stitching technique, as I am very interested in learning it." Rin nodded and left. The demon lord was curious, as this technique intrigued him quite a bit. He waited until his ward had returned to the hut to ask the older miko: "Kaede sama, what is this stitching Rin was talking about. Also, how does it relate to my younger half brother's mate and an expedient whelping?"

Kaede wasn't to certain how to go about this, when she thought of how she explained it to young girls, before their wedding nights or before their first child was born. "Tell me, my lord, though ye have never witnessed it, ye have an idea of where the children exit the womb when being born?" she asked. He simply nodded and answered: "Through the same passage where they were conceived." She then nodded and continued: "Those passages are very flexible, and will expand to accommodate the baby's head. However, when the birth is too rapid, the passages are not flexed enough and the tissue may tear." Sesshoumarou's eyes had slightly grown, and he simply nodded for the female to continue. "Kagome has explained that in her time, the healers use a technique called stitches to close deep wounds and accelerate the healing. She did not know how to perform such technique, but if Sakura knows how, I would love to witness it. It would be a great learning experience." She continued. She let the demon lord fill in the blanks that her explanations had left and thought: '_Birthing is really a thing that should be kept amongst women'_

Someone in the hut held a very special grin. Sakura had noticed that there were certain tensions between the two brothers, but she couldn't but smile when she heard the demon lord's thought. '_They are quite different, but those brothers share quite a bit...'_

Sesshoumarou's opinion about the matter only strengthened when his sensitive ears picked up screams of pain and his nose smelled a mixture of scents that he truly did not want to smell again. After about an hour of his senses being attacked, he heard the cry of a first child, followed a few minutes later by a second cry. Rin came out galloping, to see both Kaede and Sesshoumarou. She said, in a cheerful voice: "Kagome has had a boy and a girl! Sakura said that stitches weren't needed, but she wanted me to ask you if we had special rituals about the disposal of the placenta." Rin ran back into the hut. Kaede's eyes widened at the question, knowing the questions that would come from the demon lord sitting next to her. Wanting to avoid it, she got up and headed toward the hut.

When she walked in, she saw that Kagome had been cleaned and was now holding her two small pups. She also saw that Sakura was kneeling next to the birthing blanket, her expert eyes examining the two sacks that had contained the twins, ensuring that no fragment were left behind. As she was doing this, she explained her every actions to Rin, in a very patient voice. The child was hung to her lips, drinking in each word. After she had examined the first sac, she handed it to Rin, so she could get a feel for it. She was hesitant at first, but eventually stated manipulating it. Sakura examined the second placenta and was satisfied with what she saw. By not having to explain everything she was doing, her second examination went quite quickly. She then turned towards the bucket of water and cleaned her hands thoroughly.

She got up and stood in front of Kaede and spoke in a low voice: "The birth was fast and went very well. Both mother and children should recuperate quite rapidly. It is my understanding that they do not live here, and should be able to head home by sunrise tomorrow." The older woman was now smiling down on the little family. Sakura continued: "Rin has told me that you would like to learn how to perform stitches?" Kaede nodded in agreement, before saying: "Hay child, I am quite interested in this technique, however you must've learnt this at a great cost, as great secrets are acquired only through great payments..."

With that comment, Sakura had to suppress a chuckle: "You're right, med school came at quite a price..." Seeing that her joke was lost as the old woman failed to understand the relation, she continued in a more solemn tone: "I know that it is only a small repayment for the kindness that you have shown me, as you were as instrumental in my healing as the demon lord. It would be my honour to show you such technique during the day. I'm itching to go for a hunt, and once I catch something that is to my satisfaction, we will be able to practice on the carcase." She stated, smiling.

Kaede frowned slightly: "Nay child, it is us whom are in your debt. Normally, helping a fellow miko leaves no debts, as you are much aware. Kagome and Inuyasha are like family to me. You not only saved her life, but that of her pups. Please do not feel like ye owe us anything." Sakura knew that this was a vicious circle and would lead them nowhere fast. She spoke quickly: "I agree. When it comes to helping our kin, it is our sworn duty towards the other. Kagome is a miko, and so will her children be. Therefore, no debt is due on either side. It is my personal pleasure to pass on my knowledge. Let's view this as an equally beneficial action; I will gain pleasure out of teaching you my technique, and you will gain knowledge. Is that a satisfactory exchange?" She asked. Kaede was a loss for words, and could only nod.

As the older miko seemed a little speechless, Sakura asked: "May I please borrow a bow and arrows, Kaede sama?" Kaede once again nodded and handed her a long bow and some long arrows. Sakura smirked, as she was quite an accomplished archer, and a master at Kyûdô (Japanese archery). It was one of the many disciplines that she taught. She nodded curtly and headed out of the hut.

She was quite happy to get out of the small hut and get some fresh air. Part of her early training had been to get her better acquainted with nature, and one exercise was to be able to give a relatively close estimate of time of day, based on the sun and the star's positions. She had been quite a keen observer, and had mastered the technique rapidly. She judged that it was around 10:30 in the morning. She knew that the demon lord would want to talk to her at the noon deadline, whether he had made up his mind or not. She stretched out her mind to her surrounding forest, she quickly found a few grazing animals, and new that she would not need more than an hour to accomplish her task. She quickly headed towards a prey that satisfied her.

She walked in the woods in a most silent stance. She had learned to lighten her step and twist her body around branches to not let her preys know of her presence. She knew someone was currently watching her, and she did not mind, as long as the observer would not cause her to lose her prize. She came across what she had been looking for. A small dear was grazing, alone, away from the safety of the heard. She quietly pulled an arrow to her quiver, took her stance and shot a perfect straight line. The arrow hit the doe at the juncture between the skull and spleen, killing it instantly. She walked to the slain animal and pulled the arrow out of its neck. She lifted it to her shoulder and started to make the trek back to the small village, her silent observer still on her heels. She really did not mind him watching, as she was used to always having spectators. Her superior skills in all disciplines had always made her a bit of a freak. She was now used to give daily archery and sword demonstrations to tourists, as well as have brilliant artists, scientists and philosopher come out of their way to share a cup of tea with her. Not only had she trained her body to constantly be at its peak, she was considered quite a prodigy when it came to her mind and reasoning capacities. Having graduated medical school at the young age of 15, as well as having earned many other degrees in the years that passed, she had become a local curiosity, and she had quickly learned to shield out the inquisitive glares. She knew that she was nothing more than an exotic animal, displayed for all to view. She had created a special retreat in her mind where she would escape those glares.

Sesshoumarou had been curious when he saw the miko Sakura leave the hut, bow and arrow in hand. He followed her quietly, not wanting to alter her plans. She walked with a feline grace, one acquired through years of training, closing in on her prey. He watched as she expertly took her stance and quickly released an arrow which ended the beast's life instantly. He was greatly impressed by the speed at which she had shot the arrow, and the precision of the shot. He knew that the assurance she displayed came from years of practice, and thousands of arrows leaving her hands. He then saw her pick up the animal effortlessly, place it on her shoulder and make her way back towards the village. Sesshoumarou frowned slightly; he knew that the doe must have weighed between 200 and 250 pounds, yet she lifted it as though it was weightless. _'It's one surprise after another with you isn't it, little miko?'_

As she got back to the village, she gently plopped down the carcass next to Kaede's hut and went in to get the necessary instruments to start preparing the animal. She came back out with some rope a few sharp knives and a large bassin. She had spotted where Inuyasha had started preparing the other slain animals and headed that way, instruments in one hand and the doe safely tucked under the other arm. She knew that she needed to remove the guts and other organs, before it would swell up with nauseous gasses, rendering it uneatable. She placed the large basin under the animal, and expertly sliced the belly open, being careful not to puncture any of the organs. She quickly emptied the cavity into the basin, and moved it aside. She would sort through to extract the few organs that where succulent delicacies later. She went to get another large basin, slid her knife along the jugular and let the blood run down into the container. She knew that the complete bleeding would take a good hour. That meant that Kaede would have to learn the stitching technique during that time.

She headed back to the hut, and found the old woman sleeping. She just couldn't find it in her to wake her up. She figured that she would have other chances to teach her. She headed back to the other carcasses that where hanging from various trees, and was amazed at how sloppy Inuyasha's work had been. He had hardly gotten any work done in the time that he was at it. She shook her head, as she knew that she had little time to get the job done. If she was efficient about it, she would be able to save some of the meat. She looked at the animals and decided that she would prioritize the bore, the horse, the bear and the beaver. It helped that the gutting and bleeding was already done. Taking her knife, she started by carefully skinning each animals, rolling the skins carefully so that she could stretch them later. She started on the butchering process, being very meticulous about removing a maximum of meat.

When the sun reached its zenith, she felt the demon lord move closer to her. She turned around and smiled at him, acknowledging her presence. He nodded in response. As he saw her resume her work, he said: "I have come up with a proposal that I believe to be most acceptable. Would you like to hear it now or finish your work and hear it after?" She smiled back at him, and answered: "I'd love to hear it now; my current task doesn't require much concentration." He nodded, set up a barrier so that none could hear what was said, and then started: "This Sesshoumarou has found himself in quite a predicament recently, and has had a curse lay upon him. This Sesshoumarou would like you to look at it and formulate a solution to remove it. If you cannot remove it at this time, you will follow me in my travels until we are able to acquire such solution and then freed from this curse." He saw a frown crease the miko's forehead as she asked: "Who would be stupid enough to curse you?"

Annoyed by her question, he hissed: "This has nothing to do with the proposal, please refrain from asking unnecessary questions and answer whether or not you find this proposal acceptable." Sakura's eyes narrowed, her smile faded and she gave the demon lord a cold look that rivalled his own. She spoke in a cold, deadly tone: "Lord Sesshoumarou, if I am to even begin helping you get rid of this curse you are under, I will need to ask you some questions. Without these answers, I cannot help you. If you are not open to answering my questions, than I cannot agree with your proposal, as it is not doable."

She continued working on the carcasses as she felt his aura shift. He sighed slightly, and answered: "A dark miko has put the curse on this Sesshoumarou." She nodded, her face softening up: "What is the nature of the curse?" Sesshoumarou snarled slightly: "It bound my beast, therefore greatly reducing my strength." She frowned, at the thought he could be even more powerful than what she could already feel. "What was the condition for the curse?"She asked. Sesshoumarou frowned, unsure of what she had asked. When she got no answer, she looked up to see slightly confused eyes. "What is the condition for breaking the curse?" She reworded. Sesshoumarou's eyes narrowed as he answered: "This Sesshoumarou is not aware of any condition as you speak."

Sakura once again frowned as she stated: "There is always a condition for a curse. A curse cannot take if there is no condition. A curse is a vengeance that someone applies to see his or her enemy suffer. It is designed to attack one in its greatest weakness, and make them struggle. Curses are breakable because of the condition that is laid upon it. It is a binding contract. The person who curses an enemy takes a gamble, one where if their enemy looses, they will suffer the greatest despair of all. However, if their enemy wins, then the curse is broken. That is why we need to know the condition of the curse."

Sesshoumarou sighed and asked: "And how is one to find what this condition is?" Sakura was slightly shocked that he did not know. "Normally, the dark miko should have told you the condition right after she cursed you, unless..." she paused. Quirking one of his eyebrow, he said: "Unless?" Sakura suddenly felt her odds of ever repaying the demon lord shrink greatly as she said: "Unless you killed the miko before she had the chance to tell you what the condition was?" His nod was all she needed to confirm her suspicions. She knew there was a way to find out what the condition was, using the energy of the curse itself. She only hoped that her instincts were good enough to guide her.

She washed her hands in a bucket of clean water and dried them off quickly. She made her way to the demon lord and asked him: "May I see the curse?" Ne nodded and lifted the left sleeve of his Kimono. Besides the deep purple demon markings that ran across his arm and hands, she saw that all across his wrist were black and red markings. She recognized that as being the physical manifestation of the curse and was about to place her fingers on it. Halting her was the now familiar feeling of thoughts being pushed into her mind. _**'She is going to touch us again...'**_ said an excited, husky voice '_be quiet, now is not the time'_ answered a cold, slightly annoyed voice, _**'But her skin is so soft and warm, we want to hold her in our arms, smell her, taste her... feel our lips on her burning skin...'**__ 'ENOUGH you lecherous thing!' __**'how sweet must she taste, she smells so good... we want to lick every inch of her body...' **__'QUIET, NOW IS NOT THE TIME' _

While he was having his internal struggle with his beast, he had not noticed the deep, embarrassed blush that was now all over the miko's face. She would not be able to concentrate while hearing these obscenities. She had understood the second time that the thoughts where coming from him and were a side effect of the energy bond they had shared, and would most likely fade with time. She had also deduced that the argument must have been between his rational mind and his more instinctual self. She cleared her voice and said: "It might be tied up, but it certainly wasn't muzzled..." She hopped that she wasn't to insulting towards the demon lord, as she did appreciate where her head was located and didn't want to lose it because of her smart mouth. His eyes grew slightly bigger in surprise: "You can still hear this Sesshoumarou's thoughts?" She nodded rapidly.

She ran her hand through her hair and started speaking: "I won't be able do anything while your beast is having these thoughts. It will just be impossible for me to concentrate." She stated. If the demon lord had any less control over himself, he would have rolled his eyes: "As you clearly stated, it is tied but there is no way to silence it. How do you suggest we go about this?" A deeper shade of red adorned her cheek when she spoke hesitantly: "Perhaps if you got some kind of physical release, it would ease it a little and allow me to do what I have to do" Sesshoumarou's eyes narrowed as he spoke: "Physical release, what are you suggesting?" At that point, Sakura was slightly exasperated: "I'm suggesting that either you go and pleasure yourself until it has gone silent or that you go to a local brothel and get it done there. Either way, I cannot accomplish anything for now."

If she had been any less confident, the look in Sesshoumarou's eyes would have shaken her very soul. '_Great, _she thought to herself, _not only do you owe him 3 life debts, you've also managed to piss him off by telling he should go jerk of in the nearest bushes... you and that mouth of yours...' _In split seconds, he was out of sight._  
_

She knew that the demon lord would not return if she did not seek him out to apologize and make amends. She currently reeked of blood, and needed to go for a bath. She headed towards the springs close to the village. She was delighted by the scenery... small rose bushes surrounding a deep yet narrow pond, a small waterfall only 10 feet tall providing stress-relieving background noise. She quickly stripped and sunk into the cold water. She did not mind the prickling sensation on her skin. Her senses were filled with the joy of washing the grime and filth off her body. She had been through much within the last twenty four hours, and her skin was itching for water. She rubbed her skin as vigorously as her hands permitted. She then plucked a few handfuls of rose petals and started rubbing them on her delicate skin.

She got out of the water and quickly dressed, her clothes clinging to her wet figure. She then extended her aura to her surroundings. She found the demon lord not too far away from her, in a small clearing. She decided to go to him, and face whatever repercussions her actions brought down upon her.

As she reached him, she paused momentarily only to be surprised to find him beyond angry... he was livid. He was pacing back and forth, snarling viciously. His eyes where bleeding red, and both his claws where flexing, cracking the knuckles. She breathed in, walking towards the fuming lord. He suddenly turned his attention to the woman standing in the clearing. He bolted forward stopping inches from her. She knew better then to run from a predator, and she stood her ground. When he stopped in front of her, he was slightly slumped on himself, to allow his eyes to be at the same level as the small woman. As molten gold stared into turquoise, a low growl rumbled the entire clearing, making birds and smaller prey flee.

Sakura knew that he was currently being driven by instincts, and that reasoning with him would get her nowhere. What also convinced her that he wasn't in his right mind was the fact that she no longer heard coherent thoughts coming from him. She hopped her assessment on the demon lord being a dog demon was correct. She slowly bent her head sideways, exposing her throat, never looking away from his amber stare. Never breaking eye contact, she then slowly moved sideways to her left, so that his lips were right above her jugular. She knew she was taking one huge gamble with her life, but she knew that she had no other choice. She was glad when she started hearing his thoughts once more.

'_**She's submitting to us...' **_a husky voice purred. Sakura nearly sighed in relief. His mind was coming back to him. '_Yes she is, but that does not solve our problem...' _Sesshoumarou thought. _**'She so close to her, we can feel her breath on our cheek... she smells so good... I bet she tastes delicious...**_' The next thing that happened greatly surprised her, she felt something smooth and wet running across the crook of her neck. She realised that he was licking her. She was truly confused, as she couldn't help but wonder what exactly was he doing...

She noticed that his eyes were slowly closing, while the menacing growl subsided to a soothing rumble which sounded closer to a purr. _**'She tastes as good as she smells...'**_ she heard in her mind. She also felt his body moving closer to hers, his warmth pouring into her own. He placed his hands on her hips. His body was now completely pressed against hers, and she could feel his hard shaft against her lower abdomen. '_That's the problem he was talking about... time to make it up to him I guess' _She thought to herself.

She wasn't nervous about pleasing him, as she had in the past relieved a man of his desire in various ways, and hundreds of times over the years. Though still a maiden, she was not _that_ innocent. She had been conditioned, almost brainwashed to act that way. She pushed that thought aside and concentrated on the man standing before.

'_**She is so warm; we want to feel her skin pressed on ours...'**_ As if on command, she placed one of her hands on the nape of his neck, her slender fingers caressing the tender flesh. She allowed her thumb to twirl in his silken locks, and her efforts were rewarded with a groan coming from the demon lord. _**'She's touching us, her hands are so soft... we want to feel more of her...'**_

_***** LEMON STARTS HERE *****_

She slowly crept her other hand inside his large pants through one of the side openings. '_Got to love ancient clothing, knots and loads of fabric are so much easier then zippers and buttons...' _As her hand slid upon the warm tight skin of his thigh, she felt the licking on her neck transform into nibbling and sucking. _**'Her hands are skilled... so soft... so warm...' **_She noticed that the thoughts she was hearing were less and less coherent. His sucking lips kept getting more insistent, almost in a demanding way. She allowed only the tip of her nails to graze the burning skin of his inner thigh, right below his manhood. She let her hands slowly trail back up, liking the moans from the demon standing in front of her. Sakura allowed her fingers to get to his hardened shaft, and slid her blunt nail on it, very lightly. As he gasped, she repeated this going up and down, until she suddenly pulled her hand out of his garment.

He was surprised as she suddenly withdrew her had. She raised her hand to her mouth and heavily covered it in her warm saliva. She then returned it to where it was. This time, her fingers softly pushed the foreskin and her palm wrapped around the sensitive head of his shaft. Sesshoumarou felt light sparkles travel through him, as he felt the able hand working around his shaft. She then begun working her had up and down, in a slow rhythm. As his panting grew, so did the speed of her hand. She felt his whole body start to stiffen as he was close to releasing his pleasure. She removed her hand from his neck and let it join the hand moving up and down his shaft. The second hand cusped his now rock-hard balls. She caressed them gently and she felt him shudder with the close promise of an orgasm. As he was sucking down on her neck, she let her own mouth nimble his ear lobe. She flicked it with her tongue, which was enough to push him over the edge, spreading his warm seed all over her hand.

Sakura waited until he had finished and removed her hands from his pants, wiping them with a small cloth that she had with her.

_***** LEMON ENDS *****_

Diligently, she took the left hand of the panting demon and started concentrating on the curse, her energy thrusting, letting it roam. She knew that the lord was slowly getting over his shock and surprise and that he would be up and about soon. If they wanted answers, she needed to act quickly. She pushed her aura around him, and then focused on the dark marks, letting her own energy get corrupted by the dark aura of the curse. Several minutes later, words started forming in her mind's eye. She sighed as she understood the complexity of the curse. She had to use a lot of energy to keep it from corrupting her. She finally withdrew her aura from around him and wobbled to a nearby tree, using it as support so she would not fall to the ground. Her head was spinning from the effort, and little black dots were dancing in front of her eyes. She felt her knees no longer able to hold her upright, and as she was starting to fall to the ground, strong arms pulled her up and held her against a warm chest. She rested her head on the demon lord's chest for a few moments, feeling the spinning world come to a halt.

"May this Sesshoumarou ask if you were able to learn the condition of the curse?" he asked in a velvet tone. "Yes" she answered, bluntly. He waited a few moments, and when she did not continue, he asked: "And may this Sesshoumarou ask what it is". She sighed once again, and said: "You are not going to like it..." She paused and pushed herself away from him, sitting down on the ground and resting her back to the tree they were standing next to. Following her lead, Sesshoumarou sat next to her, his eyebrows slightly pulled in a frown.

"This curse is very complex. It has more than one condition. The first condition is that you find your soul mate. The other condition is that your soul mate falls in love with you and you with your soul mate. The last condition is that you both mate. It is not a curse that can only be lifted by the one who placed it..." Sakura could not read the demon lord, as his expression was blank and cold. '_Great, there is no way that you will be able to break that curse, I'll spend the rest of my life following him.'_

"Miko Sakura, he started, what is a soul mate? I do not know this word"

Sakura's eyes widened a little. She wasn't expecting that question. She answered, years of training behind her: "In this time, arranged marriages are a common practice, are they not?" she asked. When Sesshoumarou nodded, she continued: "When you look at the logic behind it, it is quite beneficial for both parties; one will get a higher status, the other will get a political allegiance or long term gratitude... it is a very practical way to deal with things"

"But what of a rich man who accepts to marry a peasant, what is he gaining out of this?" He asked, his eyes narrowing while waiting an answer.

Sakura paused before she answered: "There are many answers to your question, lord Sesshoumarou. Perhaps the man is old, and has seen a young girl who tickled his fancy... perhaps it is a young man whose face was ravaged in a terrible fight, and no other woman would look him in the eye... perhaps it is a half-demon such has your half brother, forced to lead a cursed life, and could find comfort in the arms only of a woman without status..." She stopped before the last possible reason: "or perhaps, it is that the two are truly in love, and they are soul mates."

When she saw that the demon lord was not arguing, she continued: "If arrange marriages were the only solutions, no one would marry or mate out of love. People would just bargain for the best possible match. What of a princess who loses all status because she falls in love with a commoner? What is she gaining? She is leaving a life of luxury, pleasure and ease to go work the fields and suffer. What makes it worth it? It is said that when you are with your soul mate, you feel completed and blissful, and that their embrace is worth all the suffering in the world. Your soul mate is the one that truly completes you. That is what a soul mate is..."

Sesshoumarou observed the small miko explain passionately about soul mates. Though she had put it in terms easy for him to understand, as well as given him examples that were quite pertinent, he could not help but wonder what kind of being would actually prompt such reaction from him. He had to find that soul mate of his and discover for himself. He was curious after the miko's enflamed definition. "And once this Sesshoumarou finds this soul-mate, how does he get her to fall in love with him?" He asked.

She frowned lightly, weighing her words carefully before answering: "I think that might be the easy part. As my repayment of my debt, I will give you advice which will help you. I'm certain that with your good looks, my skilful advice and your high ranks, you will be able to achieve that part without any grief."

Sesshoumarou's eyes narrowed, as his voice got even colder than usual: "Pray tell this Sesshoumarou, Miko, what you believe will be the challenge in breaking this curse?"

Her eyes never even flinched under his stare as she answered: "I believe that finding your soul-mate and having her fall in love with you will be easy. What will be cause for hardship will be the part where you fall in love with her" Sesshoumarou's eyebrows drew closer in a frown as he asked: "Why is that? Doesn't one go with the other? If this Sesshoumarou's soul-mate falls in love with him, can't one assume that he will fall for her?"

Her eyes suddenly looked sad, as if she was about to tell him some grieving news. She sighed before starting: "No, Lord Sesshoumarou, one is never guaranteed to see their love reciprocated. It is almost as hard to fall in love then it is to have someone love you. It requires you to trust that person and let them in your life. It also means that you have to let that person into your heart, your mind and give them a glimpse of your soul." She paused and her eyes narrowed slightly: "Don't get me wrong, Lord Sesshoumarou, as I have known you for a very short period of time, but you do give the impression of being very reserved, as well as incredibly rational. Love is nothing like this. It is unbridled, it is maddening, and it is passionate. To love someone is to give up on rationality and surrender to the other. I feel that this part might be the hardest part of our endeavour..."

Sesshoumarou eyed the female standing before him. He had to admit, everything she had said hit home. Her assessment of his character was correct and precise, and she had identified correctly what would be the points he needed to work on to learn to love this soul-mate of his and get rid of that god-damned curse. He answered flatly: "This Sesshoumarou appreciates your honesty and forthrightness. He does agree that this is something to consider before beginning this quest. Tell me miko, though difficult, do you view this as an impossible task? Can this Sesshoumarou learn to love?"

His question startled her. She did not expect him to ask for her opinion. She thought a few seconds before answering: "I think all beings are able to love. This being said, as I said and I do hate repeating myself; I never said it to be impossible, only that it will be hard. It will probably be the hardest quest you have ever undertaken."


	2. Chapter 2

He pondered her words silently. After thinking a few minutes, he asked her: "Would you mind this Sesshoumarou thinks things through before we set out on this journey?" She smiled lightly and answered back: "Not at all. Besides, I believe that a feast will soon be ready to welcome the arrival of your nephew and niece. I'm certain you are a most proud uncle" Her bright and dazzling smile slowly faded away when he answered: "This Sesshoumarou cares not about the half-breed's spawns. He was merely visiting his ward to monitor his progress. It is a fortuitous event that this Sesshoumarou would find himself in this village to witness such event."

She lowered her eyes, a sad gaze quickly hidden by her dark bangs, while saying: "I apologize, lord Sesshoumarou. It was impolite of me to assume that you would have been inclined to celebrating the newest addition to your younger brother's pack. I could not know that you were on such terms." She got up and started walking towards the village, before a hand caught her wrist, stopping her movements. "I thought our conversation was finished, lord Sesshoumarou... Is there anything else?" she asked

He smirked in her direction, and answered: "This Sesshoumarou is grateful for your help in releasing his desire; he only wishes to return the favor." Her eyes widened as the words sunk in. He slowly pulled her closer to him. His grip on her wrist was quite strong, and she knew that if she resisted, it would be bruised and purple the following day. Sesshoumarou's eyes narrowed as he spoke: "Why do you resist? Do you not wish for this Sesshoumarou to pleasure you?"

Her eyes shifted to the ground, not able to stand looking into his intense eyes. Sesshoumarou was surprised, as she held her own and would always look him in the eyes. She wrapped her other arm around her mid section, as if to comfort her. The demon lord was puzzled, as stood before him a completely different woman than mere moments ago. Still holding her wrist, he slowly stood in front of her, towering above the small priestess.

He used his free hand to turn the miko's face toward his. He waited until her eyes finally looked into his and said softly: "This Sesshoumarou will not do anything you do not wish." His eyes almost warmed up when he felt the miko relax. He had seen how stiff her body had become and he assumed that she just did not want him to touch her in such a way. He continued, his tone warmer, and in almost a caring way said: "Though most females would be honoured by his offer, this Sesshoumarou does not take offence to be refused by women. It is one place where one should not take by force what he cannot obtain by other means of persuasion."

Sakura was speechless as the demon lord spoke. Not only had he acknowledged and respected the fact that she did not want him touching her, he had also been kind in his words. She hadn't realized how stiff her body had become. Her joints hurt, and she knew that she would be sore tomorrow from the strain she had just put her body through.

What happened next surprised her even more. Sesshoumarou bent slightly, let go of her wrist and wrapped both his arms around her small frame and brought her closer to his body in a warm embrace. He placed a small kiss on her forehead before allowing her head to lie on his chest. He felt that she was still stiff as a board in his arms, and he wanted her to relax. He felt obligated, as he had been the one to put her in that state. He knew that a special growl was used by parents to sooth upset pups, and he had seen it work on Rin a few times when she was woken up by bad dreams.

His chest started rumbling with a barely audible growl, which sent shivers down Sakura's spine. She also felt all her muscles instantly relax, as if the rumbling wave was washing away all the built up stress caused by the events that took place in past twenty four hours. Her knees suddenly felt like rags and buckled under her own weight. She felt the strong arms around her small frame tighten to keep her from crashing on the hard forest floor.

Sesshoumarou smirked, satisfied with himself. He was glad that he could bring the miko some form of comfort. He picked her up bridal style, which caused her to gasp in surprise. He resumed his rumbling growl, as he said softly: "This Sesshoumarou believes that you need rest, as you have used much of your strength on others today, and despite your distressing state, has kept little for yourself. This Sesshoumarou will bring you back to the miko Kaede's hut so that you may rest. You will be able to sleep soundly, as no other pregnant woman, nor distressed pups, nor any other cursed demon lords is around to bother you."

That remark brought a smile to Sakura's lips. She answered to his smirk remark: "No indeed, I sense in this area no pregnant woman nor any children in need of help. As for other cursed demon lord, I'm not so sure..." She said with a playful grin.

He looked down into her deep turquoise eyes before answering: "This Sesshoumarou did not say that they were not present, he only stated that they would not bother you. This Sesshoumarou will not allow anything to disturb your sleep, as you direly need it.

She gave him a tired smile and answered back: "Well, if you, lord Sesshoumarou, feels so strongly about this, then who am I to argue. I will comply to your wishes" Though very solemn in her words, her tone held a playfulness which clued the demon lord on the real meaning of her words. His stare intensified as he spoke: "This Sesshoumarou will ensure that none disturbs your slumber. You are both protected and your skills not needed at this time. Your life belongs to this Sesshoumarou, and he protects what is his with fierceness and determination. It would look bad on this Sesshoumarou if _his_ miko died from exhaustion. Besides, _his_ miko has a most important role in breaking the curse that binds this Sesshoumarou. It is therefore a priority that she gets the rest needed so that she may heal properly."

She was somehow shell-shocked when he told her that way. He saw her as 'his' and he defended his property fiercely. '_Well, worst things could happen...at least now, I don't have to worry about being alone in this god-forsaken era. Though, I have to say, I have felt more at ease here, for the past 24 hours then in all the years I lived in my time...' _ She stopped her thoughts from trailing further, as she had something that she needed to address with the demon lord: "Lord Sesshoumarou, as we are going to be traveling together for a while now, I was wondering if you would mind dropping some of the usual formalities. I find that when you are addressing yourself in the 3rd person, as well as myself as though I wasn't present slightly off-putting..."

Her honesty surprised the demon lord. Her request was formulated in a very polite way, and he sincerely did not have any objections to her request. He answered: "I don't see a problem with your request when we are amongst ourselves. However, when with others, the use of formal tone is more appropriate." She lifted her head slightly so she could look him in the eyes, giving him a warm smile as she said: "Thank you, I appreciate it"

Sesshoumarou was mesmerized by her smile. Her lips were perfectly shaped and beautiful cherry color. _**'Her lips are so beautiful, nice and plump...' **_ thought his beast '_yes, they sure are' _answered Sesshoumarou. _**'I bet they taste good...I'm sure they must be soft as well...' **_the beast continued '_Yes I can only imagine that they are as soft as the finest silk, and taste of ripe cherries...' _thought Sesshoumarou _**'we don't want to imagine, we want to know... kiss our miko... devour her lips...' **_purred the beast. Seeing Sakura blushing furiously, the demon lord realized that she could still hear his thoughts. '_Be quite you lecherous thing'_ he said as he scolded his beast _**'Please... just one little taste...' **__'QUIET' _growled Sesshoumarou.

As Sesshoumarou had guesses, Sakura had heard the whole exchange and found it rather amusing. Though the beast was more primal, more instinct driven, and certainly had its mind in a gutter, Sesshoumarou seemed to agree with it from time to time, and it was only when he remembered about the situation that he quieted his perverted resident. She grinned and then asked: "Does it always give you such a hard time?"

His eyes narrowed slightly before he answered: "It is quiet most of the time. Though I must say, your presence seems to have quite an effect on it. You have to remember that my beast is mainly driven by instincts. Since you are a strong, attractive female, it knows that you would bare strong and healthy pups, paired with the fact that you are of pup baring age, it therefore views you as a potential mate." Her blush darkened and she quickly looked away. She now really wanted this conversation to end. She suddenly realized that he was still carrying her bridal-style. Her eyes widened as she spoke: "I must be getting heavy..."

He snorted before answering: "If you were, I would have dropped you by now. You are exhausted and need to rest. I will therefore carry you back to the hut so you may get some rest. After all, we have a long journey ahead of us." She chuckled lightly before answering: "That's quite the euphemism..." He smirked at her comment. He started walking towards village, Sakura still in his arms. She eventually rested her head against his chest and doze off.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: This chapter is to start setting Sakura's past. It's not a cheerful chapter, and there is a very very big warning. You can skip that part without missing much of the storyline. Please don't stone me, as it is important for the character development...

As I said at the beginning of chapter 1, I'm not one to put lemon warnings, but his is about child rape and understand the delicate nature of it. Skip it if you don't want to read it...

The chapter starts in a rough way, but ends in a cute, funny way...

Enjoy!

Sesshoumarou had returned to the small hut, and had carefully snuggled the miko in his fluffy tail. He had been careful not to wake her as he had placed her head on his lap. She seemed exhausted, and he had promised her that nothing would wake her, and he was one to honour his word. Though it was still during the afternoon, Sesshoumarou leaned back and shut his eyes, listening to the sounds of the village. He dozed off, waking only in the middle of the night, when he felt the miko's aura flare in distress. He then realized that she was dreaming. _'What disturbs you during the night, my little miko?'_ Sesshoumarou asked himself. He decided he would find out for himself, as he would go for a little stroll in the miko's dream. He placed his hand on her forehead and shut his eyes, waiting for the connection to form.

Sakura knew that she was dreaming. This was a nightmare that haunted her nights since she was a young. It was her mind's way to process the painful events that had plagued most parts of her teenage life and keep her sane. Even though she could rationalize what was happening, reliving these events was never pleasant. She was in a small area of the inner court of the shrine she grew up on. It was a very secluded area, and she knew that few people went there. It was late during the evening, well past dusk. The cherry blossoms where in full bloom, and Sakura snickered at the sight. Now a days, the simple scent of the flowers were enough to have her nauseous. She sat on a small patch of grass, folding her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around it. She knew that the memory would soon start to replay itself for her. She then felt a presence in her dream. Something was wrong; he should not be there.

"Lord Sesshoumarou?" she called out.

"Yes miko?" he answered, standing behind her. She did not turn around to face him as she asked: "May I please know what it is that you are doing in my dream?" He noted that her voice was tensed, and that there seemed to be mild irritation in her tone. He answered: "You seemed to be agitated in your sleep. I was wondering what it was that you were dreaming about." She sighed loudly before saying: "It is a memory. An unpleasant memory."

The demon lord sat down next to her and said: "Then I will stay with you until it is over." She never looked at him, her gaze still fixed on one point. She did not have the time to answer before she spotted two figures approaching in the dark. She spoke softly, a bare whisper: "I don't think you will enjoy seeing this... If you wish to leave, now would be a good time." Before he could answer, Sesshoumarou spotted the two approaching silhouettes.

He saw what looked like a tall, large man followed by a small girl. They were both wearing the traditional miko garbs, large black pants and white kimono top. From his spot, the demon lord could make out the distinctive feature of the girl, turquoise eyes and heart-shaped lips, and figured that he was looking at a younger version of Sakura. He roughly estimated that she must have been around the same age as his ward Rin. The man was tall and overweight. He had seen large men in sumo matches, and couldn't help but think that this man had clearly missed a glorious career. They both halted next to a blooming tree.

Sesshoumarou could see the look on the man's face and was disturbed by what he saw. There was a strange mix of cruelty and lust in his dilated irises. The man looked down onto the child and said: "It is my understanding that you have now become a woman, Sakura? You have recently experienced your first bleeding?" The girl standing before him blushed and nodded, never removing her eyes from the ground. She had never liked the man, and every time he looked at her, it sent shivers down her spine. He smiled down at her as he grabbed her chin in his large hand, forcing her head up so she would look at him as he spoke: "Well, then it is the time that you learn what are a woman's duties and how to execute them properly." He chuckled as her eyes grew wide. He pushed her roughly, pinning her against a tree, making her feel his bulge against her.

Sesshoumarou suddenly felt nauseous. He could only imagine his little ward in the same situation, how innocent and pure as she was, confronted to such a monster. He was unable to control the growl that came out of his chest.

******* WARNING, RAPE SCENE STARTS HERE ********

She was so small next to the man that his erected member was rubbing on her chest. She did not know what was expected of her, only that she did not like what was happening. He violently grabbed one of her wrists and shoved her hand in his pants. She could feel his hot member under her palm as he ordered: "Wrap your fingers around me." As she complied, his hand still firmly wrapped around her wrist forced her to move up and down his shaft. He started panting, as his other hand started undoing her clothes. As she found herself naked in front of him, he started fondling her chest. She had yet to start developing adult attributes and was still flat as a board; her body still that of a child. By that point, she was completely shell-shocked, and she was unable to utter a single word while tears begun to form in her eyes. He then removed his own clothes, and she could see him completely. She shunned at the sight, as she had never seen a naked man before, and wasn't sure if she ever would want to see one again. The smell of his arousal overpowered her nostrils. She also found that he smelt of grime and dirt, mixed with sweat and urine lingered on him. She found him utterly repulsive. Nothing could have prepared her for what came next.

As he pushed down on her little shoulders, he ordered: "Kneel, you little whore." She looked at him shocked. She didn't know if it was the command that angered her or what he had just called her. His eyes narrowed and he slapped her so violently that she ended up knocking her head on the tree she was pinned against. She was now seeing stars and black spots dancing before her eyes. She felt two large hands on her shoulder push her down. She wasn't able to struggle and she crashed onto the hard floor. He grabbed her by the hair and pulled her up towards his shaft. His tight grip brought a new wave of tears to her eyes, blurring her vision. He brought her face closer to his shaft. His smell assaulted her nose once again, making her gag.

Taking advantage of the fact that her mouth was open from her gagging, he quickly slid his whole length into her small mouth. His grip firmly in place, he moved her head so that it rested on the tree trunk, giving him the leisure to pump in and out as fast as he wanted to. Her eyes were wide from the pain of her stretched mouth, as well as the acid burning her oesophagus from the gagging. She wanted to throw up, but simply couldn't. Tears were now flowing freely from her eyes. In desperation, she placed her small hands on his hips and tried pushing with all her strength to slow him down. He grabbed both her wrists with his free hand and pinned both her hands on top of her head.

Sesshoumarou was beside himself. He was now flexing his poisonous claw, wanting to feel the man's flesh under it. He had always found that rape was dishonourable, and that males who imposed themselves on woman should be stripped of their offending appendage. If they couldn't control it, they shouldn't be allowed to keep it. What he was witnessing now was beyond that. To harm a child in such a way was below all the atrocities that he had seen committed in times of war. It was about to get worst.

When the man felt that he was close to his release, he stopped pumping and withdrew from her mouth, leaving her gasping for air. He quickly lifted her back up and flipped her around so that she was facing the tree. She felt him bend down to pick up something and was surprised when her mouth was stuffed with a piece of clothing. She understood quickly that it was to muffle her screams as she felt the man press himself against her. Her hands still pinned above her head, she could not remove the gag. She could feel his manhood pulsating on her back, as he slowly lowered himself. With his free hand, he spread her legs and lined up the tip of his manhood between her cheeks and rammed his whole shaft into her tight anus. The pain nearly got her to lose consciousness as he pumped inside her bowels. Her screams were efficiently muffled by the gag. Had he not placed the piece of clothing in her mouth, she would have most certainly bitten down her own tongue and died on the spot. She felt his pace hasten, and then he stopped, as he spilled his sticky warm seed all over her insides.

******** WARNING ENDS ; SAFE FROM HERE ON ********

He withdrew from her, panting. He released her wrists and let her crash to the ground. She curled up on the hard ground in a foetal position, shaking. He threw her clothes at her saying: "Get dressed, you filthy little whore. You're truly disgusting. You're lucky that a man such as myself would actually consider looking at you."

With these last words, the demon lord exploded in a fit of fury. In a blink, he was standing between the man and the child, clawing at him. He snarled as his claws hit nothing but air, literally going through the man. He did this for a long minute, feeling his rage grow. Suddenly, something made him stop. He felt arms wrap around his waist, as a body pressed against his back. His mind returned as he slowly remembered that he was in a dream, witnessing a memory. He could do nothing to alter it.

He watched the fat man retrieving his clothes and getting dressed, and then leaving. He saw the child doing the same, and watched her disappearing figure. He looked down at the small arms that were wrapped around him. He knew the miko had stopped him because she felt that nothing would come out of his fit. He turned around, her arms still around him and looked at her. Her eyes were completely blank, devoid of any readable emotions. He bent down slightly and wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling his nose in the crook of her neck. He didn't know if he was doing this to bring her comfort, or to simply be comforted. He was deeply troubled by what he had just seen, and he knew that these images would haunt him for the rest of his very long life.

He ran one of his claws in her raven hair and said in a strangled voice: "You were right, though this is quite an understatement; I hated what I just saw." She looked away as he spoke. Something in her eyes disturbed the demon lord greatly. Though it only gleamed for a second, he couldn't believe what he had just seen. He had to know: "You can't possibly be feeling shame for what that monster did to you, can you?" His voice betrayed by his emotions, he couldn't hide his surprise or his anger. She looked at him, surprised. She opened her mouth to speak, but her voice stayed strangle in her throat. He continued in her stead: "What this _man_ did to you is unforgivable. He has done you a great wrong." She once again looked away, and silent tears began to roll down her face. He licked them away, and she looked at him, surprised.

Something in her demeanour made him flinch. He now understood why she had stiffened up when he had tried to touch her. There was a question at the edge of his mind, and he knew that there was no way to sugar coat it as he spoke: "Did it happen more than this one time?" He cringed internally as he saw the pain in her eyes. She only nodded. When he kept on staring at her, she took a deep breath before speaking: "Two to three times a month, until my sixteenth spring." Her mind was slowly settling down, and she found herself able to think again. Never had she shared that experience with anyone, except for her closest friend, and even then, it had taken years to do so. She had never gone into details with him, only the main lines of the event. He had cried for her, and tried to comfort her the best he could, but she never could shake the feeling that the abuse she had gone through had left.

She noticed that the demon lord's eyes had grown slightly wider as his mind analysed the information, before he asked: "How old were you when it all began?" She answered patiently: "It was during my tenth spring." Sesshoumarou winced as he got that information. How it was that no one was there to protect that child was beyond him. How could such a thing happen? She looked into his eyes and smiled weakly before she said: "Please don't grieve over my past, lord Sesshoumarou. As you have seen, I have grown to be powerful and hold my own." His eyes grew sad. He continued running his claw through her hair as he said: "Yes, you are truly strong and powerful. You seem to have quite a strong will to live; however, what of your solitude?" As she looked at him, puzzled, he continued: "It is quite clear to me that you have good reasons to not want to be touched by men, and I can respect this fully as your experience has been one of violence and pain. You also give me the impression of being a very caring and maternal person, would you not want a family and pups?"

A sad smile turned the corners of her mouth upwards as she spoke: "It doesn't really matter; you have seen what I look like, you know my past, who would want of someone as ugly and disgusting as me?" Her words made him cringe internally. She continued saying: "Besides, I wouldn't want a child to live with the shame of having me as its mother and also..." She clearly wasn't finished with her sentence when she was interrupted by lips crashing down on hers. She was so surprised that she didn't dare move. The lips were soft and silky, and there was certain urgency behind the kiss. She allowed one of her hands that was still sitting around his waist to crawl up to his neck and rest there, feeling the silky hair tangle around her fingers.

Sesshoumarou finally broke the kiss and said: "I apologize for not asking first, but I wanted you to stop talking this instant... He sighed before continuing... If you were disgusting, or ugly, or shameful, I would not have saved your life and then asked for repayment of your debt. I do not bother with people of that nature. Though these words truly apply to the fat monster that was present... I would actually go out of my way to skin him alive, and then use my Tenseiga to bring him back to life and start over." His last comment was rewarded with a small smile and chuckle. He leaned and kissed her again, this time his kiss was softer, less pressing, very tender. She allowed herself to actually lean into his kiss, enjoying the chastity of it, finding comfort for all the events that had taken place over the past few hours. This time, she broke it off and rubbed her nose against his, playfully.

He felt the dream dissolving around him and knew that she was waking up. He withdrew back to his own mind, finding it hard to shake the disturbing images from his mind's eye. He woke in the small hut, noticed that the fire was still burning and was surprised at the fact that the hut was completely empty except for his ward. Rin was looking at him from across the fire, smiling: "Good morning, Lord Sesshoumarou!" She chirped happily. He answered: "Good morning, Rin. Where is everyone? It is still quite early..." She grinned as she answered: "Lord Sesshoumarou's aura flared during the night, and it was so overpowering that everyone left except for Rin. Ris is used to Lord Sesshoumarou's aura when he is angry so she wasn't afraid. What caused lord Sesshoumarou to be so angry?" He knew that if he did not keep it to the simplest, he would be bombarded with endless questions. He simply answered: "It was a dream of a memory long ago." He then shut his eyes and leaned against the wall, ending the discussion. He heard Rin move out of the small hut.

She started stirring, gradually awakening from her deep slumber. She felt rested, and also felt strangely calm, as though a weight was lifted off her shoulders. She opened her eyes to find herself once again curled up in a mountain of white fluff. This time, she was in no rush to get up. She was comfortable and wanted to stay so for as long as she could. She felt clawed fingers running through her hair, and she had to admit that she sort of liked it. She sighed, content. She heard a deep voice ask her: "I trust you have slept well, my miko?" She smiled, still half asleep as she answered: "Yes, not too bad... As you said, neither pregnant woman nor any distressed pups needed my assistance, so I was able to rest well." She opened her eyes, and the demon noticed that sleep was still hazing the beautiful turquoise of her gaze. He spoke gently: "It is still early, my miko. If you wish, you may rest some more." She seemed to ponder his offer, looking out the small window. She frowned slightly, her senses slowly coming back to her: "You are right; it is still quite early, the sun as yet to fully rise. If the lazy bastard is still in bed, why shouldn't I be..." She saw him chuckle at her comment, before she continued: "Where is everyone? We are alone in the hut..."

The demon lord's face returned to his stoic mask as he spoke: "It seems that my aura flared while I was visiting your dream. It has scared them. Since it is also most likely that your aura reacted to mine, I believe that my half-brother chose to leave, to avoid risks of purification..." Her eyes widened slightly, as she remembered last night's events. She had almost forgotten that he had been present in her dream. She felt a blush spreading across her cheeks as she also remembered that he had kissed her, and that she had not exactly protested against it.

Seeing her blush, a playful gleam seemed to dance across the demon lords eyes. He was careful not to move his tail from under her arm; he lay down next to her. As she was slightly curled to her side, he easily spooned her, feeling her back pressed on his chest. She stiffened under his touch, but he knew that she would get used to it. He slithered an arm around her waist and nuzzled his face in the nape of her neck, taking in her delicious scent. He knew that she was still tired and though had slept a fair amount of time; she needed more before departing the small village. He let his chest rumble a deep growl, and just as the previous day, he felt her relax until becoming almost like a ragdoll in his arms. He smirked internally, his chest puffing in pride. He enjoyed her scent. It seemed to sooth him, and he found it extremely satisfying that he could bring her some comfort as well. He whispered in her hair: "Sleep my miko, I will not let anything disturb you in your slumber." His words were as an incantation to her, as she felt herself surrender once more to peaceful sleep.

The sun woke her, and she cursed internally. She was comfortable, more so than she had felt in years. She was held closely to a warm chest, and was surrounded by softness. Her mind snapped back to consciousness when she suddenly realized whose chest was pressing against her back. She felt a strong, muscular arm around her, holding her at the waist. Her hands were coiled in his soft fur. She felt his warm, regular breath on the back of her neck. Though startled, she was not afraid. She had never allowed anyone to get this close to her willingly. Though he had not exactly asked permission, she did not want to push him away. She felt safe and protected in his arms, as if some part of her knew that not only would he never harm her, nor would he let any harm fall upon her. _'As long as I am in his debt, as long as I am his... but what of when my debt is repaid?...' _She couldn't help but wonder, a strange sense of nostalgia come upon her. Nevertheless, she had every intention to enjoy the current situation she was in.

She felt the demon lord stir behind her: "Good morning, my miko. I trust you have slept well and are comfortable, since you do not seem in a rush to get up..." His words had the desired effect, as from his vantage point, he could see the tip of her ears now turning a deep shade of pink, and he knew that the rest of her face was surely that colour. She started to open her mouth to apologize, but was interrupted by the demon lord as he spoke: "No need to apologize, my miko. I appreciated every instant of having you in my arms." He then uncoiled his arm from around her and started getting up, straightening his kimono as he did. He noticed the groggy miko do the same and smiled, as he had already figured out that she was not a morning person. As she was doing so, her kimono top slid slightly, revealing the black lace of her bra.

Sesshoumarou frowned slightly, before asking: "My miko, what fabric in your inner kimono made out of? I have traveled many places and have never seen something like this." Sakura was puzzled for an instant, as she was not wearing an inner kimono. Her miko garb was not one of these elaborate kimonos that required complex and tasteful layering. She quickly peaked inside her clothes to see what he was referring to and turned red as a beet. She did not think that feudal Japan had lace, and his question would most likely bring more: "It is lace, lord Sesshoumarou." As he frowned, she knew she was in for more questioning from the demon lord. He had too many to ask all at the same time, but started: "Where does it come from?" She was almost relieved as this one was an easy one: "It comes from Europe." Once again, he frowned, as her answer only generated more questions in his mind. He filed them all, as he was curious as to why his original question had made her blush.

He continued: "I have never seen a miko wear an inner kimono, is this something unique to your shrine?" She had thought that throwing something like Europe into the conversation would actually get him off the topic of her brassiere... She was wrong. She sighed as she answered: "It is not an inner kimono per say... It is more like an undergarment." She hopped that would end the questions. Was she ever wrong... Raising an eyebrow, he asked: "What is the purpose of this undergarment?" Tossing the last bit of her dignity out the window, she simply said: "It is something women wear to keep their breasts in place. It is more comfortable when you are very active then having them flopping around." She then undid her top slightly to uncover her large breasts hidden in the black lace. Though they were covered, the demon lord could imagine them bare, and found the thought genuinely arousing.

If he had any less self control, he would have had a nosebleed from looking at her. He felt like a pup wanting to suckle. He wanted to look away but was mesmerized. _**'We want to touch...' **_his beast whimpered _'quiet, we are not touching. She does not want to be touched. She will not trust us if we just grope her every chance we get.' _He answered, as calmly as he could. _**'But they are so desirable, we want to free them from that flimsy fabric and touch them, lick them, suckle them...' **_the beast purred _'Enough, you lecher. You act as if you had never seen a female before.' _Sesshoumarou answered, chastising his beast _**'We've never seen a female that had that effect on us, and that we could both agree on...'**_ his beast answered. On that note, Sesshoumarou could not argue with his beast, as he did find the woman before him incredibly attractive. He felt that she embodied perfection in more ways than one.

He finally was able to tear his eyes from her perfect breasts back to her face, and was once again reminded in a mortifying way that she could hear his thoughts, as she was looking to the ground and her cheeks were nearly purple from blushing. He saw that she was clearly uncomfortable with the exchange that had taken place. He internally cursed at his beast, and all he got as an answer from it was a deep, husky chuckle. He lowered his eyes before saying: "You seem to have quite an effect on my beast, my miko." As she was pulling her top back on, she answered: "I heard..." He sighed deeply before continuing: "You seem to have quite an effect on me as well." She looked up at him surprised and lost for words. He spoke, as the speechless miko was clearly flabbergasted: "There is something quite exceptional about you. I have not quite figured it out. You have a presence that is not natural, a presence that has an almost ethereal quality to it. Also, you carry a wisdom that few have. Despite your young age, you are already what most would consider a sage, and yet carry the innocence and purity that one would see in younger pups. There is also that scent of yours..." He trailed of, having said more than what he wanted.

She finally snapped out of her daze and moved towards the demon lord, and placed a hand on his chest, feeling his heart beating. She smiled softly before saying: "I have lived the majority of my life in a perpetual nightmare, days and nights, plagued by pain and suffering. I have known you for such a short amount of time, and yet you were able to bring me comfort like none before. Perhaps our paths were meant to cross, so that I may guide you and assist you in your quest, as well as assist you in falling in love with your soul mate, and so you may guide me towards trusting others..." Her voice trailed as she had spoken her mind in a way she had never before. People from her time had always found her thought process odd, and though she lived on a shrine, her fellow mikos always found her attitude towards fate disconcerting. It had been easier to blame all her suffering on fate and karma than think that she had actually done something to deserve all the woes that had befallen on her life.

Sesshoumarou nodded as he agreed with what she said. Just as he had felt the seedlings of change rooting within him, he could see that she was undergoing a similar process. Pride shone in his eyes, as he felt proud or 'his miko' for such insightful thinking, as he spoke: "I agree with you, my miko. I believe that both our karmas were ready for this, and the gods must have placed us on each other's path for a reason. I do believe that we both have something to gain from each other's presence."

Sakura smiled at him. She was glad that for once, she had spoken her mind and not been looked at as though she came from another planet. Determination shone in her eyes as she spoke: "Well, now that this subject is settled, where do we start? We won't find your soul mate by just standing around in this hut..."

Sesshoumarou nodded, impressed by her enthusiastic approach to what he saw as a daunting task. His eyes grew slightly darker as he spoke: "We will first have to head to my castle, as I have duties to attend to and ensure that all runs smoothly while we are gone on our quest." An even bigger smile shone on her face as she spoke: "That's great!" she squealed. As she saw the puzzle on his face, she continued: "Think about it, lord Sesshoumarou... Isn't it logical that your mate would be amongst the powerful demons of your society... for all we know, you might already be acquainted with your soul mate and not know it... Your castle is a great starting point, as it is your domain, and where you will be most comfortable." He saw that her eyes held a calculating glow to them. She was already planning the following steps. Sesshoumarou held a strong appreciation for strategists, and wanted to see how her mind works as he spoke: "My miko, I would love to know what is going through your mind at the current time."

She looked up at him, torn from her thoughts. She regained her composure as she spoke: "What I was thinking is that your castle is your domain, therefore your zone of comfort. It is always easier to win a battle in known grounds." She started pacing in the small room, trying to word her explanation in images that he could easily relate to. She knew that he was highly intelligent, but some of the concepts she was trying to relay were abstract and she wasn't certain as to how she should word it. She didn't want it to sound like a simple game of conquest, but she knew that currently, it was the best analogy. She continued her monologue, the demon lord's eyes never leaving her: "We need to get this female in your territory, so that she is the one off balance. This will give you the home field advantage."

He frowned slightly as he spoke: "And how do we lure this female into my territory, my miko?" She chuckled slightly at the question as she answered: "The same way we lure any prey, with an incentive... a prize... something that could not be refused." Her gaze was now fixed on him, and he saw a predatory glow in them. Sesshoumarou narrowed his eyes as he spoke: "This Sesshoumarou is not a piece of meat to be exposed, and is certainly not a prey, my miko." His answer made her chuckle, and if she had not been in such a strange setting, she probably would have roared with laughter. She answered: "It is not what I meant, lord Sesshoumarou. I was thinking about something more formal, such as a ball, as an excuse to invite the available woman to your castle. Surely your reputation would ensure the presence of all available females from the country..." She knew that by throwing in a little flattery, she would be off the hook. He slowly nodded, before answering: "This could indeed be a good idea, in order to get the female in my domain."

She smiled at the fact that he liked her idea. She answered: "From what I recall, it is not uncommon to hold festivities at this time of the year, to celebrate the fall equinox. Is it not?" The demon lord nodded and asked: "Do you not think to informal an event to actually meet and courtship such an important person?" She smiled warmly, as her eyes still held that predatory glow and answered: "On the contrary, lord Sesshoumarou, if your intended does not expect to be courted at that period, the more vulnerable she will be to your advances, and the more likely will you succeed in your quest." The words she spoke rand truth in the demon lords' mind. Though the strategy was fairly simple, he knew that it had potential. As though her mind was following his, she said: "Besides, it will be easier than going, knocking on each of the lords and ladies doors trying to find an available female. If the ball fails, then we will rethink our strategy." He had to admit that she was very efficient. He had to go back to his castle one way or another, and planning a ball would not be so energy consuming. It was an efficient way for him to get acquainted with many females in a short amount of time. He liked her strategy.

He nodded before saying: "Very well, we will leave before mid-day. Less than half days walk away from here, I own a piece of land, where a very talented demon raises my personal stallions. We will go to him so you may be provided with one that suits your needs." He saw her eyes glimmer with joys, as her face lit with joy. _'She seems to like horses' _he thought to himself. He made a mental note of the fact, and also noted to ask if all females had a positive disposition towards that particular beast. He had magnificent stables, both where they were headed today and in his castle. A part of him was glad that she enjoyed these animals, as he was afraid that she might become restless in the castle while he was tending to his duties. Having a horse of her own would ensure her entertainment for at least a few hours per day.

Seeing how excited she was, he then said: "If you would like, we could make arrangements to leave earlier..." Her squeal hurt his sensitive ears, and the only reason he forgave her was because he knew that she had not done it on purpose. He smiled as, at this exact moment, she looked exactly like his ward Rin, as innocent and pure, happy with such a simple thing as seeing hoses. Her eyes grew wide in excitement as she said: "I would most certainly like so... Thank you, lord Sesshoumarou." She stepped up to him and, wrapping her arms around his neck, brought him down to her level before placing a chaste kiss upon his lips.

A/N: Well, that is it for today folks, next update coming soon, filled with animal cuteness and mild lemons (pleasant ones...)


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hope you are enjoying the ride provided by my twisted mind ;) I was thrilled to get my first review, almost did a snoopy dance. And as an answer to it, yes, rape is supposed to make you want to puke! Not to give any spoilers, but it is my firm intentions that the bastard gets what he deserves in future chapters.

Enjoy No lemons in this one, only semi-clean fun ;-)

Sakura had insisted, much to Sesshoumarou's displeasure, to go and pay one last visit to his half brother and his mate to check up on the pups' health. She had sensed the demon lord's impatience and did not linger, bidding the little family her best wishes before leaving. Kaede had been kind enough to give her a few miko outfits, as well as a bow, quiver and arrows. The skins of the animals that had been slain the previous days were also given to her, though she did not know what she would do with them yet. Perhaps once arrived at Sesshoumarou's castle she would have the time to stretch and work them. She had worked with leather and pelts since a very young age, and her determination and patience made her quite capable in this art.

While she was lost in her thoughts, Sakura did not notice that the demon lord was throwing side glances at her and her weird bundle. Why she had decided to keep the pelts and skins of the animals that were killed the previous day was beyond him. Their smell also bothered his sensitive nose, and he couldn't help himself as he spoke: "Pray tell, my miko, why is it that you have kept those disgusting smelling skins and not yet discarded them?" She gave him a playful grin while answering: "I did not know that their smell was so offensive, lord Sesshoumarou... had I known, I would have left them in the village, where someone could have worked them into something useful. If you had said something back there, I would have refused them and insisted on them keeping the lot. Now, it just seems like quite a waste to just abandon them here..."

The demon lord narrowed his eyes. Though it did not please him, he could not argue with her logic. He knew that she would not have argued with him had he asked her to leave them behind. She smirked when he did not argue and then added: "Besides, I really enjoy working skins and furs. I've developed quite a skilful hand at it. While you are busy with taking care of your lordship business, I'll have to find things to keep myself busy if not I'll go stir crazy." She winked at him cheerfully, while saying: "One of our head miko use to say all the time _idle hands are the devil's playground_, I agree with her..." Sesshoumarou had never heard that expression before, and he asked: "Explain, my miko."

She looked at him and tried to find the best way to explain this expression: "Well, it applies mostly to children, whom will find mischief in every corner if their hands are not busy..." The demon lord nodded and agreed with what she was saying: "Hn, I can see how this saying translate to children, but not to adults." Sakura thought for a moment before answering: "If you think of how soldiers holding a siege, bored from the lack of challenges battle brings will start being implicated in all kinds of larceny, from simple theft to full out plunder and pillage... does this make any sense?"

Sesshoumarou nodded to acquiesce. He had seen the phenomenon more than once and knew it quite well. It was indeed one of the reasons why he was always reluctant to choose a siege as a strategy, as it was an inefficient way to wage war. Not only did it take months of preparation, one also had to battle with neighbouring towns and had to account for the losses then. Also, the long periods on inaction made the men wary, lazy and unruly. His little miko had chosen quite a good example.

He enjoyed the conversations he had with her. Not only was she well versed in many subjects, she seemed to have an opinion about everything, and was able to argue her point in intelligent ways. He wanted to find out more about her, about her shrine: "Tell me about the shrine where you grew up, my miko."

She sighed slightly, remembering about the temple that had been her home for nearly a quarter of a century. She did not know where to start...

She finally decided that she would start with her own beginning: "I was brought there when only a few days old. My mother died, pregnant of me, and I was rescued by a monk, who left me in the care of the mikos at that shrine. As I grew, it was obvious that I was different from other children. Not only did I learn faster, I performed better and mastered techniques that would take years to acquire in weeks. I was considered as a master archer by the age of eight." She then took a deep breath before continuing, her voice slightly bitter: "Our shrine was not rich, and the dwindling numbers of followers and tourists made it hard to maintain the shrine properly. One of our head mikos saw in my talents a chance for profit. Pulling in all the favours that were owed, I was trained in hundreds of disciplines. When, by the age of ten, my spiritual powers where stronger than that of all the mikos under our shrines roof combined, our shrine began offering house exorcisms and blessings. I also dealt with possessions, and had a package deal if exorcism and house blessing was combined."

The last bit was completely sarcastic, though she would not have put it below their head miko. When she noticed that the demon lord was looking at her intently, waiting for her to continue, she pursued her story: "When I was twelve, I could say that my life took a rather interesting tangent. I was sent to bless a new tea house that the Ladies of the Willow world had recently opened." Her face almost took a saddened expression, one that Sesshoumarou could only associate with nostalgia, overshadowing her beautiful featured. He did not want to bring her out of her reminiscence, but couldn't help but ask: "Ladies of the Willow world?" She smiled sadly and answered: "Geishas"

Sesshoumarou nodded, though he had never heard a miko speak of the geishas in a polite way, even less hear them addressed as ladies. She continued her story, not paying attention to the interruption: "I was very young at the time, and older mikos had filled my head with prejudices about the place. They had even told me that I would be entering a place of sin and debauchery, and that I would most likely come back having lost my innocence." Her voice was now laced with poison as she continued: "If any of them knew what debauchery went on within the walls of that shrine, their ears would curl..."

She paused to regain her composure before continuing her story: "As I arrived at the tea house, I could sense malignant spirits surrounding the place. As I made my way through the grounds, I could feel that a simple blessing would not suffice, and I would probably be spending hours battling with the spirit present, forcing it to the netherworld. That is when I met the mama-san responsible for that particular house. When I was introduced to her, I knew that she was one of the kindest person I had ever had the pleasure of meeting. She had such charisma and presence that it was hard not to notice her. When I explained the situation, she seemed wary, as if I was trying to get more money from her. I knew I had then read her correctly. She seemed to relax when I told her I would do the exorcism for free, if she promised she wouldn't tell my head miko. I did not know at the time that a great bond of friendship would form between the two of us."

The demon lord could not help raising a thin eyebrow at the thought of a Mama-san actually befriending a young miko. The animosity between the two 'professions' had always been open, each thinking themselves better than the other.

She smiled at his puzzled look and continued: "She seemed to think that she was in debt towards me. Since I had shown interest in the arts, she offered to teach me what she knew. She gave me lessons and was pleased with the fact that I was a fast learner. She also gave me the most important gift of all, a place to run away to, when times got to tough at the shrine. I was quite disappointed when she told me that she had nothing else to teach me. However, she invited me to come and visit her as a friend instead of as a student. So I continued my routine, and rather than play the flute or the shamisen, or read new poetry, we would discuss actuality and politics, having heated debates about the latest book we've read... It was quite therapeutic for me." She paused while she remembered the woman that she had loved as a mother.

Feeling the demon lord's eyes burning a head through her skull, she continued: "When our head miko discovered my little escapades, she forbade me to ever go back to her. She chaperoned all my exits, and had me escorted around the grounds. I was able to keep a secret correspondence with her, but it wasn't the same. The head miko found out about my unofficial training from the mama-san, and decided to branch out, offering special evening services. I was quite a rare item to have, and quite an expensive one as well. Instead of poetry I would do incantations and prayers, instead of playing the shamisen, I would do a sword dance, all while being able to converse and serve tea or sake in a very elegant way." Her tone was sarcastic and Sesshoumarou could see how she did not appreciate what her superior had her do. He waited for her to continue and was rewarded: "When I was fourteen, I entered university and then graduated medical school with honours in barely one year. I then received, the following year an honorific doctorate in physics for work I did on particle physics, followed by numerous titles and diplomas. It made me a somewhat of an international attraction and grew our shrine's fame exponentially. You could say that this was my blessing and my curse..." As she saw the demon lords puzzled eyes locked on her, she continued: "You can imagine that a certain priest did not like all the attention around me, and thought is wise to move away..." She smiled at that last bit before she continued: "But on the other hand, my life became a circus. I was on display every waking hours of the day, every day. It is very hard to find peace and quiet, when you are constantly being solicited. I was not only being thrown left right and center to give seminars and classes on various subjects; I was also expected to perform my regular priestess duties..."

She then stopped and blushed, her eyes slightly wide. Sesshoumarou couldn't but ask: "What is wrong, my miko?" She gave an embarrassed laugh before answering: "I just realized that you had asked me about the shrine I had grown up on... and there I am, ranting about my past... I apologize Lord Sesshoumarou, I did not want to bother you with cumbersome information..." She was now looking on the ground when she nearly bumped into a hard chest. She had not noticed that the demon lord was now standing in front of her.

He held her chin in between is index and his thumb, raising her face until her turquoise pupils met burning amber, before he spoke: "My miko, you have given me a very clear picture of what the shrine you grew up on was like." He paused before continuing: "If I thought that details about your life were cumbersome, I would not be traveling with you." His gaze intensified as his face was slowly leaning down into hers. He placed his free hand on her waist gently, almost afraid that she would back away if she realized that it was there. He let his nose touch the ridge of hers as he was moving closer to the forbidden, heart shaped fruit that he longed for. Ever since he had first tasted her lips, their taste had lingered and had obsessed him, and he wanted more.

Her eyes were slowly closing, as her lips were drawing closer to his. His warm breath over her face felt like a soft summer breeze. His eyes were burning with an intensity that was almost scary to the young miko, but then again, she felt drawn to them. Just like a butterfly that was attracted to light, she wanted to drown herself in the amber fire that was dancing before her. She only hoped that she would not burn her wings in the process...

Sesshoumarou felt the heat of her body against his, and drew great pride in seeing her pleasure-glazed eyes. After what felt like an eternity, his lips finally connected with hers, harder than the times before. He felt her small hand reaching for his neck and felt shivers down his spine as her soft skin rubbed against his. She curled her fingers his hair, running blunt nails against the lower parts of his skull. He couldn't suppress a growl of pleasure and almost regretted it, as she seemed tense up when he did.

Sakura thought that she might have been to bold when she started running her fingers through his silky hair. She had fantasized about it since first meeting him. She now understood why men fawned over her head of hair and tried to find ways to touch it... '_For heaven's sakes!' _she thought '_the man let me give him a hand job, he could let me get close to his hair...' _She did not know what to do, whether to leave the offensive hand in its place or removing it. She decided to not move and wait to see what he would do, as he would most likely tell her in the bluntest of ways if he did not enjoy it. That's when intruding thoughts began pouring into her mind. She smirked internally, knowing that Sesshoumarou's beast would give her the best pointers as to how to proceed...

'_**Our miko is touching us... her skin is so soft' **_the beast purred '_Yes, it sure is,' _answered Sesshoumarou _**'Why did she stop moving, it felt so great...'**_ whined the beast, '_I think our growl scared her'_ answered Sesshoumarou _**'Do something so she continues, so she understand it was a sound of pleasure... she brings us great pleasure, our little miko... touch her hair in the same way so she continues...' **_commanded the beast. Sesshoumarou sighed internally. He knew that if he did not do anything, the miko might withdraw from the kiss and he certainly did not want that. He had no intentions of pushing this little moment further than this kiss, and maybe a little groping, but he did not want it to end so quickly. Before he moved the hand that was holding her chin to the back of her head, he was reminded that she could still hear his thoughts as he felt her relax and continue moving her hands through his hair.

He decided to do the same, and slid his hand at the back of her head. Instead of keeping his touch light as hers, he used this new anchorage to deepen their kiss, his body now inflamed with passion. He felt slightly frustrated, as he could see that she was clearly enjoying the moment that they were in, he could not smell any arousal from her. He scent had hardly changed since they had begun kissing. She could be out and about picking daisies, as far as the demon lord was concerned. He held her closer to his body, earning him a small moan coming from his miko.

He took it as a cue, and let his smooth tongue run the curve of her bottom lip. She let him tease her bottom lip for a few seconds, before opening her own mouth. Sesshoumarou was about to let his tongue assault her mouth and explore thoroughly each tooth, ridges and folds when her reaction surprised him. He had expected her to be mildly submissive and let him go on with his ministrations, when he felt her tongue flick his playfully. At first, it was only small tentative nudges, but as she grew in assurance, her tongue began to become bolder. He felt as if she now had it in her mind to explore his mouth before he explored hers. He would let her have no say in the matter, as he would win this fight for dominance. He allowed his tongue to twirl with hers, locked in a waltz that seemed to last forever. Something flashed in Sesshoumarou's mind, very briefly.

If he were to guide her to become more trusting, and also if he was to himself learn how to actually surrender to someone, he had to relinquish dominance in certain aspects of his life. He decided to let her win this fight, and allowed her tongue to fully enter his mouth. He felt her other available hand join her sister on the nape of his neck. He also felt her demeanour change. Where she had been uncertain, she was now bold. Where she was scared, she was now confident. The prey had now become the predator. He felt her press her large breasts against his chest. She was now leaning into him, devouring his mouth.

She let her tongue run the roof of his mouth, memorizing each ridge. She then ran her appendage on his teeth, feeling each one individually. She applied too much pressure on his fangs, causing them to slightly cut into the soft epithelial tissue, giving the demon lord a taste of her blood. He had given her full alpha role in the kiss. She, a human miko, was now in an alpha position with the most powerful demon she had ever encountered. The thought sent shivers down her spine. She also felt a new tingling throughout her body. As if fireflies were dancing on each and every one of her lower abdomen nerve endings, small sparkles of pleasure lit up her body.

Sesshoumarou picked up on the change in her scent instantly. He nearly roared in triumph when he smelt the sweat and spicy scent of her arousal. He almost climaxed from the scent. He used all of his acquired self control to not let any of his inner turmoil transpire and distract his miko. He almost cursed as he felt his beast, and winced internally when it spoke to him _**'Our miko likes to be alpha...**_' it purred '_Quiet'_ ordered Sesshoumarou, almost whispering, _**'we like it with our miko in charge, she is so strong, will surely be a very strong pack leader... so powerful... we like her being our alpha' **_Sesshoumarou sighed internally, whishing it could find a way to gag the foul mouthed lecherous beast. Sesshoumarou was surprised that the miko did not stop with the kiss...

Sakura had heard the argument that the demon lord had had with his beast. She had already suspected that he had willingly given up control and let her work at her own pace. What she did not expect was that his beast actually enjoyed giving the reigns to someone else, and Sesshoumarou did not seem to argue with it. He had actually tried to silence it so that she would not pull away. She felt a certain pride in this, and since he did not want her to stop, she would indulge him. After all, he had let her take control; he had taken a step in the right direction. If he was able to surrender himself to her, he would be able to do so with a potential mate. '_Interesting,_ she thought_, I only hope things go as smoothly once we find this soul mate of his...' _

The kiss seemed to last for an eternity, and yet it almost felt as if less than a second had passed to the demon lord. He wished he could have spent all of his long life in this moment, wrapped in her arms, her body pressed against his. He knew that his whish would not be exhausted today, as his demonic senses suddenly felt a strong aura approaching. He enjoyed the kiss until the very last moment, until both their lives were in danger, and just as he was about to break up their tight embrace, his miko surprised him once again.

Sakura had felt the demon approaching for quite some time. She had been used to never completely let go of her senses. She had been taught at a very young age that if you stopped paying attention to your surroundings, you could easily become a prey. It was the difference between the panther and the zebra, and she was no zebra. She felt the demon approaching, and at the very last second she reluctantly broke the kiss she had shared with Sesshoumarou. He had let her assume alpha position, and it was only fair that she carried it through. As alpha, it was her duty to protect him and she would do so rightfully. She held out her right hand, and called out to the demon that was locked within her as she said: '_I need your Ochaida, now, demon. When I came of age, you said that I could use it any time I wanted, all I needed to do was ask... I'm not asking, I'm telling you, I need it NOW.'_ Her inner voice roared as she spoke. She heard a deep chuckle, and then the demon answered _**'There was no need to lose your temper... here you go, protect what is yours.' **_ The demon's words puzzled her, but Sakura pushed the thoughts aside, as she felt the giant sword take form in her hand.

Sakura knew that she was strong enough to wield the giant demon sword. She was, however, worried about the demonic aura surrounding the sword and how it would react to her miko aura. When the sword materialized in her hand, all her doubts were silenced. The sword felt as if it belonged in her hand. It felt at home. It pulsed with a soothing energy. Sakura knew that the sword in her hand must have weighed a good 500 to 600 pounds; it felt light as a feather. She almost felt clumsy carrying it, as she did not have the weight of the sword to balance out her own. She spun around to face the direction in which the demonic aura was coming from.

Braking from trees onto the path they had just walked jumped an enormous beast. To Sakura, it looked like a cross between a bore and a bear. It was standing upright and was about twenty feet tall. Its large hands showcased razor-sharp claws that were about fifteen inches long, and reminded the miko of grizzly paws. Its face was entirely bore, both of his tusks adding to his great might. His body was covered with dark brown coarse hair. He did not wear any clothes, and Sakura had to refrain from gagging from the sight of the appendage that was dangling from between his legs.

Sakura heard the demon lord let out a deep growl behind her. She smiled at the sound. She would stay between the two demons, as she had every intentions of defeating the foul smelling beast standing before her. Before she could swing her sword, the bore-bear spoke quickly: "It's her..." Sakura did not have the time to register before his entire body was engulfed in blue flame.

Sakura read his levels of energy and knew that he was no match for her. She had monthly sparing matches with a demon that far exceeded his levels, and she knew that he would not even prove to be a challenge. Still, being a miko, she hated to shed blood and take lives. She then said: "Demon, this is your only chance to live. Turn around and leave." The demon chuckled at her bold answer and said: "Miko, you have caught the attention of a very powerful being. He has offered a reward to any who can bring the miko of the four seasons to him. I have just become a very powerful and rich demon today..." He trailed of, and before he could realise what was happening, we was struck by the side of a giant sword.

Sakura had every intentions of killing the disgusting demon, but she wanted answers to the questions that were assailing her mind. She had hit him with her large demon sword, using its side, as though it was a large paddle. Her speed surprised the demon and she was able to land a strong blow. He flew about thirty feet in the air and landed some seventy feet away. In the blink of the eye, she was standing next to him, the pointy end of her sword snug against his neck. Her eyes narrowed as she spoke: "Demon, answer this question and I will give you a swift end. Answer falsely or not at all and you will suffer and beg me to end your life."

Sesshoumarou had watched the strange spectacle from a distance and was quite please with his miko. She could hold her own, and her battle stances were the product of years of training. He appreciated the fluidity of her movement, and how she made it look easy to an untrained eye. He had felt chills run down his spine, when she had spoken her ultimatum to the demon lying on the floor, in a cold, heartless voice. He suddenly was glad that she was on his side. He had mentally snickered when she had to him that, at such a young age, she was a weapons master, not believing her. He now knew that she was quite a skilled swordsman. He made a mental note to invite her to a friendly sparring, to truly see her level of expertise. Somehow, he knew that with some effort, he could probably win, due to centuries of experience, paired with his demonic abilities... probably. He also knew that if faced with a weapon other than the sword, she would most likely best him. He stared at the miko with a new found awe. Something lit up in his mind, a new tactic was forming.

The demon lord had already been pondering on ways to keep his miko close to him, even after she had repaid her debt. He felt that she would just leave after the curse was broken, and that did not sit well with him. He wanted her to stay close to him, as he enjoyed her presence so much. He had thought about offering her an official title within his council. He knew that the other ministers would greatly frown upon the addition of a human miko, a female to top things off, but he couldn't care less. He had a problem, and this provided a solution. He just had to find a role suitable for her. His weapon's master was getting old, and perhaps he would accept her as an apprentice. However, Sesshoumarou doubted that she would find the position challenging enough to occupy it for more than one full cycle of seasons.

As he was lost in his thoughts, Sesshoumarou lost track of the exchange between the miko and the demon.

The demon snickered at the miko. She looked down at him, and said: "Tell me who sends you, and why." He spat on her sword and said: "If a weak human such as yourself can hold this, it must not do much harm..." Sakura narrowed her eyes into two slits. She did not take well to insults. In one swift swoop, she chopped of his right hand by simply planting her sword in the ground, where his wrist was laying. She repositioned it as swiftly on his jugular, her eyes burning into his. He squirmed slightly but quickly regained his arrogance and drew his lips in a tight line. She said, her voice laced with poison: "Answer the question, demon." He looked her in the eye and said: "Come with me and you'll find out for yourself..."

With this remark, she positioned her sword above his left wrist. She held his gaze as a small smirk appeared on her face. She lowered the sword in a slow, steady pace. She made a clean cut, removing his second clawed appendage. She then commented: "I hope this demon promised you a lot, as you are now going to have to find someone to feed you for the rest of your life..."

Sesshoumarou was speechless, as he watched the miko act. He had seen her be compassionate and kind, caring about the wounded selflessly. He was now watching her be cold and cruel, in both her actions and her words. He licked his lips while watching her tower over the fallen demon. Though her demeanour had been very passive and polite, she was now a force to be reckoned with. She had a goal and would use all means to get to it. He smiled internally as he was glad to have her as an ally. He then took a decision. He would make her in charge of organising this ball she had suggested. This would make her a special retainer on his council, one implicated in the planning of special events. It would allow him to evaluate her interactions with his council members, and see her strengths. He was in need of a new head of council, and whomever she would replace would assume this role.

The miko continued her slow torture until his four limbs were nothing but stubs. She knew that by now, the demon would hold his peace. Her miko senses where telling her to put an end to his suffering and let him cross to the other world. Her dark miko training was telling her to set a Dark Fire around him, plunging him in an eternal hell of pain and suffering.

She had had both her natures fight since she had reached adulthood. Her training had included the dark arts, since her head miko wanted her to be well rounded in all subjects. The training took a little too well in Sakura's case. The abuse she had gone through as a child as left deep scars within both her mind and soul, and would corrupt her pure powers from time to time, when she felt threatened. She was able to keep it in check most of the time, as she was now, balancing her evil intentions with her good ones.

Suddenly, another voice started making her long for something else. Part of her wanted to continue tearing into his flesh and shower in his blood and gore. She was quick to push these thoughts aside. Her point was not to simply revel in a blood bath, but get an answer to her question and find out who was after her. Quickly, images of blood, tripe and other organs filled her mind. She stepped away from the demon lying on the floor, as it was not her wish to do something she would later regret. Sakura knew that what she had done was cruel, but what she had done was to get an answer out of him, and get to the source of the conflict, so not innocents would be implicated. She could fight the darkness in her, demanding for an eternal punishment. The miko knew that greed had motivated the demon, and though reprehensible, did not deserve more punishment than he had already suffered.

Sakura turned to the demon lord, whom had been watching the entire scene with avid interest. She looked into his golden orbs, and said: "Lord Sesshoumarou, I see now that he will not speak... I struggle with what to do next, would you please assist me?" Sesshoumarou lifted an eyebrow, as he was surprised that she had actually asked for assistance. To him, this did not show weakness. He admired the fact that she was able to admit that the solutions to her problem displeased her, and seek advice. He looked into her turquoise eyes, and answered: "My miko, what solutions have you considered?"

She sighed deeply before answering. She knew that her thoughts were not what people expected of a miko. However, so far, Sesshoumarou had proven himself to be quite open minded about what she said, so she started: "A part of me wants to put him out of his misery, as there is no point in continuing this." She said, gesturing towards the pieces of severed limbs on the floor. His burning eyes urged her to continue, and she complied: "Another part of me demands that I engulf him in a Dark Fire." She waited to see if he had questions, but seemed familiar with the dark spell. She finally added: "Another part of me... a new voice I might say, one that I have never had to battle before is asking for more blood to be shed, for his gore to line the forest..." Her voice trailed off as she was now looking to the ground.

Sesshoumarou smiled internally, as he knew what her internal struggle was. It was hard to face an enemy and not wish to bathe ones hands in their blood. He guessed that though she had plenty of battle training, she had experienced very little bloodshed, and that she did not understand the emotions that she was currently going through. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and she raised her gaze to meet his. He spoke in a tender tone: "My miko, one very simple option remains..." She frowned as he spoke, wondering what he meant. He continued: "Simply walk away."

His tone was still tender, but held a certain command to it, and she knew that she could not ignore it. As he saw that she was struggling with his last comment, he said: "It is the simplest way to act. There is nothing left to gain from remaining here. He will not give you any more information, and you will not further torture him, nor will you give him eternal torment, and you do not seem inclined in bathing in his blood. I therefore recommend that we just leave." He saw her internal struggle, and continued: "Do you think that this beast of a demon ever showed any form of compassion or mercy during his killings? I think he could be categorised to the group of vicious killers, who take joy in torturing their preys. Do you really think that such a killer would deserve a merciful execution? Just let him die, and let nature take care of the rest..." with his words, the demon lord turned around and started walking across their path.

Sakura took one last look at the demon lying on the cold forest floor and followed behind Sesshoumarou. She did not need her demon sword anymore, and it vanished into the ether. She started to feel guilt grip her, as she thought about her recent actions. She was a miko, trained in the arts of healing, and yet she had just tortured an enemy, and was leaving him to die alone. She nearly turned back before Sesshoumarou interrupted her.

The demon lord had noticed the struggle she was going through. He also understood why it did not sit well with her. He wanted to ease her mind, and hopped that what he was about to tell her would help. He started, his voice smooth and silky: "Did you know, my little miko, that your ancestors were warriors?" When she answered with a frown, he continued: "Their goals were to protect humans from demons and evil doers. They were skilled fighters, and used their strong auras to inflict serious injuries to demons of all levels of powers. Their numbers dwindled, and in order to protect their knowledge, they decided to become pacifist. When I first saw you, I thought you might have come from those times, as your hands were calloused and your body scared. My guess now is that these traits speak louder in your blood than it does in that of other mikos."

Sakura looked at him and smiled lightly, before walking up to him and landing a small kiss on his lips. He raised an eyebrow, and before he could ask she said: "Thank you, lord Sesshoumarou. You seem to always have the right word at the right time." She smiled again and continued walking down their path, leaving behind her a stunned demon lord.

That's it for today folks, hope you enjoyed!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: A little longer this week, I guess I was inspired... There's a big long and juicy lemon, for those who like ;-) and I was kind enough to identify it for those who don't...

Enjoy!

Oh! And by the way, someone was kind enough to leave me reviews... Please don't be shy and do write a few nice words if you like ;-)

Now, question for all, I'm quite fluent in Japanese, and I have made a conscious effort to keep it all in English (both not my first language...I once again apologize for typos/weird grammar... don't hesitate to write if you spot obvious ones...)

Let's start with this poll: do you guys like it when typical 'anime' Japanese is added to the text or do you find that it breaks the rhythm of it?

As they walked in the forest, Sakura's mind pondered today's events. She was certain that the demon had not lied, and a demon was indeed after her. As she was thinking, she did not see that Sesshoumarou was eying her in a calculating way before he said: "Pray tell, my miko, what is it that currently bothers you?" She sighed before answering: "I was thinking about the events that took place before I was brought to this time. A possessed corpse had attacked our shrine, and the evil spirit looked at me and said 'It's her' just as the demon did just now. I wonder if the two events are linked..." He looked at her and said: "It is not my intention to pry, but I cannot give you an enlightened opinion if I do not have all the facts. I have assumed that you come from a different time, and you have not argued. May I please ask how many winters separate your time from this era?"

Sakura had to think for a moment. She knew she was in feudal Japan, and that absolutely no modern amenities. The air was pure and clean, and she knew that she was far from the time when coal would modernize transport. She roughly estimated that they were in the Sengoku period. She started to explain: "I believe that this era will later be known as the Sengoku period. I think that we are still early in the era, as there are no firearms around..." Sesshoumarou had to ask about the strange word she had just pronounced: "Firearms? Is this a spell created out of fire?" Her eyes suddenly grew dark, and her lips pursed in a thin line before she answered: "If only it was a spell, I think it would have been less terrible... Firearms are weapons that can be wielded by any ordinary humans." She stopped, thinking of how she could explain what the weapon was. She thought of current weapons, and tried to transpose it as she continued: "You know how some ninjas will use hollowed out bamboo shoots to assassinate their targets from a distance using a poisonous dart?" She waited until he nodded before continuing: "No imagine the bamboo shoot having a very large girth." She used her index and her thumb to image a round about an inch in diameter.

"Now imagine that instead of a poisonous dart, you would use an arrow head that would fit snugly in that hole." He frowned, before saying: "Yes, that I can do, and it sounds like a potentially powerful weapon, if you would have a great wind demon who could blow in this tube to launch the arrow head." She was glad that he understood her example, and she was trying to think of a way to explain the gunpowder, when it hit her: "Chinese fireworks..." She breathed in a whisper. Most humans would not have understood, but the demon lord made out the words perfectly, and asked: "What of Chinese fireworks?" Her eyes lit up, before she asked: "You have seen these fireworks? How they explode in the sky?" He nodded and she continued, truly passionate about the subject: "Well, it not about the size of the firework but about how the explosion is contained... if it is in a restrained place, the strength of the explosion will make it go upwards, just as we see a firework fly upwards, as the first explosion is contained. Now imagine if a small firework was set behind the arrow head in the tube, and then lit to explode, the explosion would create such force that the arrow head would travel 20 to 30 times faster than any arrows shot from the best master archers..."

Sakura was slightly winded when she had finished her explanation. It was her experience that most people from modern times could not even follow basic physics concepts such as action-reaction, and she now had to explain it to a demon lord from the feudal era. Lucky for her, Sesshoumarou was not most people. His swift mind and her clear images helped him understand the concept. He narrowed his eyes before speaking: "I can see how this weapon can be both appreciated by warriors, but also be a great danger, as it would be easily wielded by commoners..." His voice trailed off. He could imagine what terrible civil wars and casualties amongst peasants and commoners would result from this. His eyes must have shown the sorrow of such horror, since he felt a light touch on his shoulder. He forced himself out of his dark thoughts, and looked into her deep turquoise eyes. Her eyes held sadness and deep wisdom. Sesshoumarou couldn't help himself but think how wise she was, far beyond her young years.

Sakura felt his distress, and knew that she had caused it by her explanations of the futuristic weapon. She knew that Sesshoumarou was no fool, and understood what kind of damage such a weapon could do. She knew that he was not a sadistic man, and he did not enjoy seeing innocents suffer in vain. Also, being the lord that he was, it could not sit correctly to think that his people, the people that warriors were supposed to defend, would be sent out to battle with little less than a firearm. Her voice was poised and calm as she said: "Do not worry yourself over events that have not yet come to pass. When this happens, you will face it as all the hardships that you have faced thus far." She gave him a warm smile before kissing him in the crook of his neck.

Sesshoumarou felt tingles of pleasure running through his body, and the sensation made his previous worries melt away. He buried his face in her neck and let her silky hair tickle his face. She giggled softly as his breath tickled her skin. He wrapped his arms lazily around her small frame. He spoke softly: "You diverged with your explanation, my little miko. You have explained your logic concerning your estimation of our time period, yet have not told me how far ahead this era you come from..."

Sakura's eyes went wide when he spoke. It was true; she had greatly trailed of... "My estimates are that about five hundred winters separate this time from the one I come from." The demon lord could not help but raise his head out of her hair and look her in the eyes, incredulous. He knew that his half-brother's mate had travelled through time as well, but now stayed with the whelp. He had never really believed them, though he could sense no lie in both the whelp and his mate, just as he sensed no lies coming from the miko standing before him. He then spoke: "My half-brother's mate supposedly comes from the future as well, though I must say, you seem to be far better adapted to this time period than her. Not only were her clothes indecent and inappropriate, she would use such foul language, and she is so unruly..." She smiled at his comments, thinking how he would react if he was thrown in the middle of modern Tokyo.

She wanted to find out more about what he knew of Kagome's time. The way she travelled back and forth could hold the key to going back to her own time. She then asked: "Could you tell me more about how she used to dress? That could give me an idea of if we came from the same time..." She saw his eyes move up to the right as he remembered her outfit. He sneered in disdain before answering: "She would wear a kimono top that was tight enough to outline her feminine curves, but loose enough to ride up with the wind. As it was not tucked into the skirt, you can imagine that it was quite revealing during battles. Her skirt was incredibly short, and it also was made in a way that it would not stay close to her skin, showing what should clearly be hidden. Her mother should be ashamed to send out her child dressed in such fashion." Sakura could not help but giggle at his indignation. She then answered: "Well, from what I gather, Kagome looks about twenty years old. Kaede has told me that the war with the half-demon Naraku started four and a half years ago, so that would put her in her teenage years... I would guess that what you are describing is a schoolgirl uniform..."

The demon lord frowned at the fact that she seemed at ease with what he had spoken of, and asked: "So you have seen other females dressed in such ridiculous fashion?" His voice was laced with such disgust that Sakura could not help the wide grin that was spreading on her face, before she answered: "Well, most schools in Japan have uniforms that children wear, and the girl's uniforms consist of a coloured skirt, a white or grey blouse, knee high socks and black shoes. Some men actually fancy such dress wear... I have heard other women saying that their spouses coerced them into wearing one in the confines of their bedrooms..."

Sesshoumarou's eyes widened. He found it hard to wrap his mind around the concept... to think that a man would need such thing as having their mates dress teenage wear to actually enjoy a rump with their females was quite hard for the demon lord to understand. _**'We would like to see the miko wearing that short skirt...' **_purred his beast. '_Quiet, we wish no such depravity' _answered the demon lord. _**'Don't lie, you know you would like it, to see her long slender legs exposed, with the wind fluttering that short piece of fabric...' **_The beast husky voice was now laced with desire. Sesshoumarou couldn't help but form a mental image of the miko that was still in his arms wearing what his half-brother's wench use to wear. _**'Yes, that's right, imagine her... that little kimono hugging her perfect breasts... how we want to suckle on them... then her exposed waist, how perfect she is, our miko... and how it flares out into beautiful large birthing hips, so perfect to carry pups... how that little skirt would showcase those perfectly...' **_his beast was now panting as he described the mental image the demon lord had projected in his mind's eye. He looked onto the face of his miko, who was now blushing as dark as a raspberry. He smirked internally, as she had wiped that silly grin of her face.

Sakura had heard the quasi-monologue the beast had held, and how Sesshoumarou had not argued so hard with his beast. She knew she was to blame, as she had set his mind in that direction. She felt that his arms were wrapped a little tighter around her waist. She felt his face come closer to hers. He started running his nose on the ridge of hers, and she could not help but compare his behaviour to that of a canine counterpart. She had seen dogs greet each other by rubbing their snouts together. She did not mind at all. On the contrary; the intimate contact sent jolts through her body. He then spoke, in a husky voice, not so far from that of his beast: "I think can understand how such outfit could be, how to word it... tantalizing to the senses..."

With this said he bent down and captured her mouth in a deep, demanding kiss. He pulled her closer to his body, and could feel her warmth through their clothes. Sakura could feel his aroused member pulsing through is pants. She did not pry away from the embrace, as she felt a certain pride that the mere thought of her in a school girl's uniform could create in the demon lord such a strong reaction. She leaned in closer, pressing her breasts against him. He reacted to her motions by running his smooth tongue on her bottom lip, demanding entrance into her mouth. She granted him passage, and let him dominate this kiss, as it was only fair since he had let her do so last time.

Sesshoumarou's mind was completely lost as he tasted her sweet mouth. She allowed him to take the lead on this kiss, privilege that he would thoroughly enjoy. He let his appendage tease hers for a moment, and then started exploring her mouth. He ran his tongue on her smooth, blunt teeth and then explored the roof of her mouth. Her breathing was now slightly faster, and he was rewarded with the rising scent of her arousal. It took all of his self control not to tear her clothes off her body and take her here and now, on a small path in the middle of the forest. He knew however that she was not ready for such actions, and he would control himself. He did not want her to pull away from the kiss they were currently sharing, so he would control his impulses.

The demon lord let one of his hands trail upwards into her silky hair, giving him anchorage to deepen the kiss. He felt her mimic his motion, and felt blunt nails running against his scalp. She let out a small moan in his mouth, which he replied to with a low growl filled with lust. Her moan and arousal made him bolder, and he let his second hand travel downwards, to cup one of her firm buttocks. She moaned for him once again, and he did not remove his hand. He was surprised that she did the same on him, groping him through the fabric of his silken kimono. Her grip was not as strong as his, but her massaging motions sent spikes of pleasure throughout his entire body. As he moaned into her mouth, his erection became even more painful. He instinctively started rubbing himself against her to lessen the pressure. He hoped that the miko would be too absorbed by the kiss to notice, as he did not want her to pull away.

Sakura hoped that the demon lord would not find her to bold. She wanted to touch him, feel his body the way he was feeling hers. She massaged his buttocks, as she knew that it was quite an erogenous zone. Her ministrations were rewarded with a deep moan as well as a slight thrusting motion. She felt herself growing more and more aroused, and knew that they were on the right track. She felt emboldened by his reaction to her touch. She wanted to touch his soft, silky skin. His scent was pleasant to her. It currently reminded her of a warm fall day, walking through the forest. She had noticed that with his arousal came another scent, something of a muskier nature, laced with spice. She wanted to trail down to the source of the smell. She could only hope he would not push her away, though so far, he had let her explore his body to her heart's content.

Sesshoumarou almost whined like a small whelp when his miko broke the kiss. He was quite disappointed to no longer feel her mouth on his. However, he was quite surprised to feel her nimble his neck. He closed his eyes in delight as she ran her tongue down to the juncture between his neck and shoulder. He felt shivers down his spine when he felt her slither the hand that was playing in his hair down to further open his kimono. He felt her warm tongue tease his skin, as she followed the hand, tasting the exposed skin. Sakura reluctantly removed her second hand from his firm buttocks to go and assist the other, as she was not satisfied with the progress she was making. She opened his kimono top in one swift motion and let herself admire his perfect chest. She continued licking his skin, starting with his pectorals, teasing the small, erect nipple. So no one was left jealous, she made her way to the second nipple, flicking her tongue on it, and then lightly nibbling it. She was rewarded with a deep lustful growl.

Sakura loved his taste and his smell. The warmth of his skin under her tongue had her wishing that his entire body was pressed against hers. She was incredibly aroused by the thought. Her mouth travelled downwards to his firm abs. She massaged them, the same way that she had his buttocks. She started licking his belly button, and saw that this gave him goose bumps. She smiled internally wondering if he was ticklish. While she continued playing with his navel, she knelt in front of him and let her hands travel to the strings that kept his pants in place. She pulled on them, and the silken material fell to the ground.

****** Lemon starts here ******

Sesshoumarou was now panting. He could hardly believe what his little miko was doing. He had heard tales of female demonesses expert in the arts of merry making and how they would please males, and never had he heard of tales of when the feelings were so intense. His entire body seemed to be engulfed in pleasure. All his nerve endings were tingling and this was his miko's doing. He felt her hands running up and down his thighs, slowing down when approaching his throbbing manhood. Her scent contributed to the deep feelings of lust that were building within him. She was greatly aroused, and he could only hope that she would let him explore her body the same was she was exploring his.

Sakura found the source of the musky scent she had been seeking. She looked at his manhood and was taken aback by the sheer size of it. She felt her own arousal grow, as she wanted to start sucking voraciously and bring him to climax, but she also wanted the pleasure to last. She had learned a few tricks from more emancipated friends and would certainly test a few today. She first started by teasing his tip through his foreskin. He moaned as she did this. She placed one of her hand on his hip for balance and the other at the bottom of his shaft. She pushed the foreskin aside with her tongue and ran it around his pulsing tip. She could taste the precum on it, and knew that once she started sucking him, he wouldn't last. She would make this last as long as she could resist. She then lifted his manhood slightly and ran her tongue all the way to it base and back up. She did this a few times as he was growling deeply as she was. She tipped her head sideways and let her blunt teeth tickle this delicate skin. He moaned as she did. Once she arrived at the base of his manhood, she started licking the two dangling balls. She knew that he liked it.

Sakura could tell that he was exercising every last inch of self control for her sake. However, when she started licking and sucking on his testicles, she felt his hand make its way to her hair and rub her scalp. His eyes were closed and he was moaning deeply. His husky voice said in a whisper: "Yes, my beautiful miko, this feels so good... my beautiful Sakura..." He moaned her voice, as if simply saying it brought him pleasure. After a few minutes, she let her tongue trail back to the tip of his manhood. She then opened her mouth as wide as she could, and she slowly advanced it on his pulsing shaft. She made it so that it would not touch anything in her warm cavity, but would only feel her warm breath on him. She went as deep as she could without his manhood touching her. She then pulled back and did this a few times. He was now breathing heavily.

To Sesshoumarou, what she was doing was heavenly torture. He could feel her warm breath on him, and an occasional flick of the tongue. His member was now painful and he wished that she would bring him release. He couldn't help but whimper when she pursued her antics, as he did not want to push her into doing something she was not comfortable with.

The whimper from the demon lord did not fall into deaf ears. Sakura knew that she had toyed with him long enough, and it was now time to give him release. She then licked her lips so they would be slippery and took in the demon lord's shaft in her mouth. Years of experience in deep throating allowed her to take him all in. She sucked in her cheeks at the same time, so it would feel tighter for him. He threw his head back and let out a loud moan of pleasure. Not even the most experienced demoness he had rutted with had brought him such feelings. She then started bobbing her head up and down his shaft. When she saw that his heavy breathing turned into panting, she accelerated her tempo. She felt his fluffy tail wrap around her as she was doing so. The tail slightly tightened and she felt him become slightly larger. She knew that he would soon explode, so she let one of her hands travel back to his balls and cupped then gently. He roared out her name as he came into her mouth, his sweet seed coating her throat.

Sakura waited until he had completely finished unloading before slowly pulling her mouth away. Sesshoumarou wobbled on his legs and sat in front of her. He spread his legs around her, and used his tail to bring her closer to him. He was still panting heavily, as he spoke: "No other female has ever given me such pleasure." He raised her chin and gave her a passionate kiss. He broke the kiss and looked her in the eyes as he asked: "Would you let me give you pleasure as well?" She almost pulled back from the embrace. She would have jumped to her feet had she could. The only thing that prevented her to do so was the warm tail wrapped around her. His eyes were pleading her to accept. She started shaking her head, saying: "It's not necessary, you don't have to..." He silenced her with another deep kiss. He looked at her and said: "I know I don't have to, but I want to. It would bring me great pleasure." She still looked quite uncertain. He kissed again, very tenderly this time.

Sesshoumarou let his hands trail her back, as she had let him do so before. He left one of his hands on her waist, but let his other one travel to one her breasts. He could feel the erect nipple through her top. He started running his fingers on it, teasing it. She moaned in his mouth, and took it as a signal to proceed. His second hand mirrored the first, and started massaging the second nipple. He smirked internally when he felt her lean into his hands. He removed her top, revealing her black undergarment. He then searched for strings to untie it. Understanding his confusion, she slipped her hands to her back and unclasped her bra. He slid the small piece of fabric of her body and winced internally when he noticed the number of scars that ran across her body. Her body itself looked like the lace she had shown him. He couldn't help but wonder how she had been wounded so often.

Sakura saw his eyes widen when he saw her naked skin. She hated the way she looked undressed. Years of battling the demon that was sealed within her had taken its toll. She hated the way he was looking at her now, analysing her looks. She wanted him to stop, and just wanted to get dressed and run away from his eyes. She felt uncomfortable as she spoke in a strained voice: "I'm sorry my skin looks so disgusting... Perhaps I could get dressed so you wouldn't have to see it anymore..." Sakura felt her adrenaline spike when she saw red bleed into the white of his eyes and he let out an angry growl. Now, she definitely wanted to get up and get away from him. What he did next surprised her to no end. He planted a deep kiss on her lips once again.

Sesshoumarou was angry that his actions were misinterpreted. He broke the kiss and told her in a deep husky tone: "Haven't I told you already that you are never to address yourself as being disgusting?" She looked away and he continued: "I was looking at how beautiful you are, and thinking that your skin looked like lace." She looked back into his eyes, surprised. Sesshoumarou decided to continue what he had started, and let his hands massage her large breasts. He saw her eyes glaze with lust and smirked internally, gloating with pride. He let his tongue trail down her neck, until he arrived at the crook of her neck, where he heard his beast. '_**Mine'**_ the beast said. He rapidly moved his mouth away from there to one of her rosy nipple, as he did not want his beast to mark her accidently. He started suckling on her nipple as though he was a famished young pup. She moaned deeply as he was doing so. He felt her nails digging in the flesh of his back. He left one nipple to go to the next and nibbled on it before twirling his tongue around it.

Sakura had never felt anything like it. She had never even felt aroused in all of her life, and now, this demon lord she hardly knew was playing her body as though she was a fiddle. His actions were sending waves of pleasure through her body, and she could feel a painful tightness developing between her legs.

Sesshoumarou let his hands travel down her waist to the strings that held her pants in place. He pulled on them and they fell to the ground. He scent was even stronger now. He looked down and saw that his goal was covered in the same fabric that had covered her voluptuous breasts. He gently laid her down on his own clothe so she would not be cold. She still shivered when she felt her breasts pressed against his chest. He noticed that she enjoyed felling him on her, so he indulged her for a little while, assaulting her mouth with a deep kiss. He then broke it off and moved down her body, fluttering kisses on her skin as he moved closer to his prize. He saw that the fabric covering her womanhood was wet with her juices and his chest swelled with pride. He slowly ran his claws between her skin and the fabric and pulled down the undergarment. He then made his way back up, spreading her long legs as he did so. He was surprised to see that she had absolutely no hair covering her. He knew that she was a woman, yet was as a hairless as a little girl.

The demon lord pushed the thought aside, promising himself to ask the question at a later date. She was now shivering slightly, and Sesshoumarou knew that it was not from the cold. He started licking her inner thighs and made his way to her wet folds. He wanted to torture her the same way she had done with him, but he felt that it was best to keep his sweet revenge for later. He started licking her slit and heard her gasp. He quickly licked all the dripping juices, enjoying their taste to the last drop. He started by teasing her pleasure bud and was rewarded with a loud moan. He continued, as her breathing grew heavier. Her eyes were closed and her back was arched slightly.

Sakura could not control the feelings that were coursing through her body. It was as though all her nerves were lit up. She knew that if someone could harvest the energy that was running amuck through her, she could certainly light up a small city. She felt the demon lord start sucking on her clitoris, and a new wave of pleasure hit her. Her flesh was now covered in goose bumps. She let her hand travel downwards to his head, where she ran her finger through his hair. She moaned and her voice, filled with lust, said in a whisper: "Lord Sesshoumarou..." He stopped for only a few seconds, only long enough to say: "You are the one who asked for us to drop the formality, so how about you stop calling me by my title, my Sakura?" She smiled at his comment as she repeated: "Sesshoumarou..." He growled lightly before saying: "Your Sesshoumarou" He buried his face back into her, causing another wave of pleasure to assault her body. Her back arched even more, as she felt her climax coming, between to breaths she said: "Yes... my Sesshoumarou..." That's when her mind went completely blank and the only thing she could feel was how her body exploded in pleasure. She was completely breathless and could only leave the air back into her lungs little breaths at a time.

Sesshoumarou growled in satisfaction when he felt her reach her release. He lapped the juices that were now again flowing. He felt her opening pulsing and let his tongue penetrate her. He decided to continue, as he wanted to hear her call his name in pleasure many more times. When the waves of pleasure receded, he continued pushing his smooth tongue in and out of her moist entrance. He smelt her arousal building back up and he heard her moaning once again. He let his tongue trail back to her pleasure nodule, and let one of his fingers slowly replace his tongue. He gently pushed it in her, not wanting to hurt her, nor nick at her virgin barrier. He was surprised to find none. She was definitely a virgin; he could tell from the purity in her scent, but had lost her blood barrier. He did not mind, as this only meant that he could finger her deeper without hurting her. He slid his long index in and let her grow accustomed to it. Her back was now arched, and her hips were slightly thrusting against his fingers. He let his middle finger join the index. She felt so tight around them, he couldn't help but think how maddening she would feel against his shaft.

Sakura never thought that she would enjoy any sexual acts, let alone reach the bliss of climax. Not only had the demon lord brought her there, he was about to make her enjoy multiple orgasms. She felt her own body react to the presence of his fingers thrusting in and out of her, her hips now responding by matching his rhythm so he would only be in her deeper. She couldn't help but think about how maddening is shaft would feel within her. She felt him slide in a third finger and continue pumping in and out. She moaned loudly, her body now reacting out of instinct, wanting more of what the demon lord was giving it. It felt as though she had been in the desert, and was now finally allowed to quench her thirst. Her voice sounded different to her, as it was laced with lust and pleasure, as she spoke: "Please, my Sesshoumarou, faster..." She felt her demon lord comply as her pumped faster. As she cried out his name, she felt her orgasm, more powerful than the first, roll over her like a tsunami.

Sesshoumarou was quite please with his little miko, and with the way she reacted to his touch. Never had he realized that she would be so reactive to him. Never had any demoness ever been so demonstrative. He left his fingers in place as he felt her throbbing finish, and he started to rub his calloused thumb over her pleasure nod. He felt her shimmer under his touch. His hand still in place, he started moving back up her body, licking the sweat that pearled and glistened on her body. He then reached her nipples and started suckling on them once again.

Sakura thought that he was finished with her, but she was mistaken. He had continued his ministrations on her tender folds with his hands, which had left his mouth available to roam over her body. When he started to suckle her nipple once again, she felt jolts running down her spine and stretching though her lower abdomen, almost connecting with his fingers that were now again moving inside her. If she did not feel his flaccid member against her leg, she would have begged him to take her right now. He switched nipples, which sent new jolts of pleasure. He trailed back up to her neck, sucking the crook of her neck until he left a hicky. She heard his husky voice say, out loud this time: "Mine" She smiled slightly, as his remark almost made her reach climax a third time. She turned her head slightly so she could look him in the eyes as she said, out of breath: "Yes... I am... yours... my... Sessh...ou...marou..."

With this, he crushed his lips on her, swallowing her moans as she was now reaching her third release. He quickly broke the kiss to whisper in a husky voice: "That's it, my Sakura, come for your Sesshoumarou..." He resumed the kiss as she experienced the third orgasm of her lifetime. She nearly passed out from the pleasure, as the waves rolled over her body as it does over the beach.

******* Lemon ends *******

Sesshoumarou broke the kiss to let her breath. He removed his hand from within her and licked his fingers clean of her sweet juices. He did not want any to go to waste, so he swiftly bent between her legs and licked her clean of her pleasure nectar. She squirmed, and he guessed that her folds were probably now sensitive from all the action the sensitive skin had just gone through. He finished every last drop and lay next to her on his side to see her beautiful face. Her cheeks were now flushed, and her lips were slightly redder and swollen from the kisses that she had received. He wrapped his tail around her and brought her closer to him. He kissed her tenderly as he held her against him. He was once again distracted by the crook of her neck, as he desperately longed for it, and he wanted to make her his forever...

The demon lord knew that he was playing with fire by keeping her in his arms in such a tender embrace, but he did not want to let her go. He wanted this moment to last for all of times. He had never felt so complete, as though she was filling a void he did not know existed. He looked into her turquoise orbs, which were looking back with a tired yet contented look. She smiled at him a sweet sensual smile. Sesshoumarou couldn't help but smile back. She arched an eyebrow, and said: "Well, that's a surprise... I did not think you smiled..." His eyes took a playful look to them when he answered: "Normally, those who see this will not live to tell the tale... though I must say that from what you had said, I too was surprised today... I thought that you did not reach release. Clearly we were both wrong." With this said, he kiss his blushing miko.

Sakura did not want this moment to end, but an internal voice was tugging at her. It was the same voice that had earlier screamed for the demon's blood. It was now warning her, telling her that she should end this embrace. She did not understand, as she wanted it to last forever. _**'Sakura, if this continues, he will claim you as his...' **_Said a husky voice, a voice that was strangely close to hers. _'But he has already claimed me as his, and I claimed him as mine, I don't understand what more he could do... Besides, it's not as if I would refuse him...'_ She argued, feeling silly that she was arguing with herself. _**'It is not the same, if this keeps up, he will claim you as his mate here and now. He will bite down on your neck and make you his for all of eternity... it is to early...'**_ The voice's arguments made sense to Sakura, but she still had doubts when she said answered '_I don't think he sees me as a potential mate, he is just being a little possessive, I am human after all, and I doubt that he would waste time with me on the long run.'_ The voice answered back _**'You silly girl, you are powerful in your own right and incredibly intelligent; you both appeal to his logical stoic side as well as to his beast. It would not surprise me if he already had plans on how to keep you beyond your debt. His beast is his instincts, and it tells him that you are a good potential mate. You have heard him speak of how he thinks your body is perfect for carrying pups... I'm telling you, trust me, I will not lead you on the wrong path, it is too early for you to be his mate... not yet...' **_

Sakura was confused, as she had never really had an internal dialogue with herself. She was starting to think that she might be losing her mind. She looked at Sesshoumarou, who was now looking at her, eyebrows drawn in a frown. Before she could inquire he spoke, his voice slightly tensed: "I have just heard your thoughts...It is what stopped me from marking you..." Sakura's eyes grew wide. She could not believe that he had just heard her thoughts. She then asked: "Is this the first time that you hear my thoughts?" He nodded his head as an answer to her question.

Sesshoumarou was puzzled, but one thing he was certain of is that he would have marked her as his mate had he not been interrupted by the voice he had heard. Not that he would have regretted his action, on the contrary. He was quite intoxicated with the little miko lying in his arms, and knew that this infatuation would not leave. It would also solve his dilemma as to how to have her stay by his side. As lady of the west, she would naturally hold a place on his council as his consort. The voice he had heard had been incredibly insightful, analysing his feelings towards her quite correctly. She looked at him, puzzled. Her voice was slightly insecure when she asked: "Would you really have mated me if you had not been interrupted?" He looked into her deep turquoise pools and answered: "Yes, I would have claimed you as my own. I would have made you my lady of the Western lands. Would you have seen a problem with this?"

Sakura looked into his amber eyes, as she saw a sudden darkness veil them, as if he was afraid of what she was about to answer. She took in a deep breath and answered: "I would not have refused you, my Sesshoumarou. I meant what I said when I said I was yours. The problem I see is with this little thing around your wrist." His eyes widened in surprise before he spoke: "I am powerful enough to hold my land safe, and with you by my side, we will have nothing to fear." With these words, he buried his face in her hair to draw in her scent. He did not want to look into her eyes, as he had the feeling that she would push him away. Sakura started to stroke his back, feeling his warm skin against hers. She wanted to give him an answer that would not make him feel rejected, but that would also give them time to explore their feelings for each other. She formulated a plan in her mind before saying: "I will accept the mating with a few conditions." As she said this, Sesshoumarou moved his head back so he could look into her eyes to insure that she was not being deceiving. He sighed as he saw only truth, and felt something new in him; hope. He felt that his world would have shattered had she rejected him. Conditions, he could live with.

Sakura did not miss the change in his demeanour and couldn't help but smile as she saw that his eyes looked the same as those of a small boy who had just been promised a reward should he complete his tasks. She started, her voice soft and warm: "My first condition is that we genuinely try finding your soul mate. If we don't, then I'll consider it. My second condition is that we fall in love with each other before we mate. You seem to be quite comfortable with me, so I think that tender feelings could develop... I don't want to be in a loveless mating for the rest of my life. My third condition is that if either of us should fall in love with another than the other will respect this and not further pursue mating. My last condition is that while we are working things out, no rutting with others. I think it would be disrespectful towards one another." She looked for his reactions, as he pondered her answers.

Sesshoumarou had led many discussions and had signed many treaties, and was a skilful negotiator. He then chose how to voice his opinion and then said: "I see no issue with your first condition; however we need to put in a deadline. We need to put in a time restraint." He saw her think this through, and she answered: "Acceptable, how about five winters?" Sesshoumarou found this delay to long, as he knew he would not be able to restrain himself for such a long period of time. He answered: "One" Her eyes narrow as she answered: "Three" He knew he had almost won, as he said: "two" She drew her lips in a thin line and said: "Fine"

The demon lord smirked internally. It had almost been too easy. He then said: "Concerning your second condition; if we see that after our second winter, we are not in love with each other, yet find that we still enjoy our rutting, would you still consider being my mate?" As he saw that she had opened her mouth to argue, he continued before she could place a word in: "The way I see it, we seem to be highly compatible when it comes to pleasing each other. Also, you are highly skilled and your intelligence greatly stimulates my mind. This inner voice of yours was right, I was already pondering on ways to keep you with me following the end of your repayment. I wanted to offer you a position on my council, for you to remain mine... Also, your incredible qualities and strength paired with mine would produce strong, worthy heirs."

She laughed at his last comments, and said: "You know, I feel more at home in this era then in my own... I would have been honoured to be offered a position on your council. As for the rutting, we do not need to be mated for it to continue; same with the pups." He growled deeply at her, which surprised her as he said: "I will not have you hold the role of a simple concubine!" Smiled again at him as she placed a warm hand on his cheek before replying: "Having me as a concubine would leave you open for a political mating, a great way for you to gain a powerful ally." She could read the pain in his eyes when he kissed her deeply and said, his mouth not really leaving hers, making his stubborn words slightly muffled: "Your Sesshoumarou will not mate another, and your land will not need of an ally who is willing to whore out their daughters to seal a treaty. If they wish an alliance, it will be through negotiations. Besides, I would refuse her and leave her untouched. No heir would come from her."

She sighed deeply as she knew that there would be no way that she would win this argument and said: "Fine, if, and only if we still find as much pleasure in each other's arms will I consider it. I cannot promise more than this." Her voice was still very tender, but firm.

Sesshoumarou knew that he had reached the limits of what she would compromise. He knew that the hardest compromise was still to come. He took in a deep breath and spoke: "As you must have noticed, I have a very possessive nature. It is innate to all dog demons. My beast has already made up its mind and claimed you as his. It will be very difficult for me to manage a contender. I will only ask that you be discreet if you let yourself be courted by another, as I honestly cannot predict my own reactions. I might simply tear any potential threats to shreds..." He was truly puzzled as she burst out in laughter.

Sakura was truly relieved as what he said was truly not what she had expected. He had been so tensed that she first thought he was going to address the exclusivity condition. When she saw the puzzled look he was giving her, she explained: "I don't really think that this is going to be an issue, my Sesshoumarou. I truly have no intentions of letting anyone court me. As you have seen, I have somewhat of an imposing personality and do not take well to chauvinistic phallocrates who believe that they are better than women. Please don't get me wrong, as I am not saying this out of misplaced pride. Most men I have met in my life were below me, either in skills, in intelligence or in strength. I don't mind, as I have come to expect that a vast majority of people cannot reach my level. I have seen it many times, and men seem to feel threatened by this, as though their virility would be affected by such a thing. You are truly the first being I can say that has not made me feel such a way. I feel like I can have an intelligent conversation with you, and that you are able to follow. You are not threatened by my skills, as you have quite a large skill set that you have developed over the years, you are quite powerful and you are your own master, which is why you do not feel the need to step down on others to bring yourself up."

Sesshoumarou listened to his little miko speak her heart out, and it left him quite speechless. He did not know that this was how she felt about him. Perhaps it would be easier for him to make her fall in love than he had thought. He smiled tenderly at her and said: "I'm glad you feel this way. Perhaps it is you who truly has a gift with words, as you seem to know exactly what to say to ease my mind. Nevertheless, I felt that the warning was necessary..." He saw her eyes take on a playful look as she said, teasingly: "Well, it's only fair, as we do not know how I would react to a female making advances on you... I might be the one doing some limb tearing." He chuckled lightly before saying: "Then you might have a tough time in the official events, as females seem to fawn over your Sesshoumarou... You would truly do me a great service if you mated me before the end mark, as these females are quite cumbersome to your Sesshoumarou." She laughed before saying: "I will be the judge of that... besides, I don't mind kicking some demonessess around. It's not as if I wasn't use to it..."

Sesshoumarou frowned, before saying: "Has many demons attacked you in your time? Kagome seemed to speak of her time as a peaceful era, where there were no demons..." Her eyes grew wide has she knew that she had to explain the fact that a demon resided deep within her... She took a deep breath and said: "Before I get into explaining, are there any other points you would like to address?" He looked into her eyes before saying: "No, I believe all is acceptable... so our negotiation is concluded?" She smiled before answering: "Almost. Before you agree to it, there is something that you need to know about me... I think we should get dressed and find a place where we will spend the night and set up camp, as it is already dusk, and I do not think that we will be reaching your stables by tonight due to all our little interruptions..." He looked at her, as she was a breathing puzzle to him, and nodded in agreement. He reluctantly let go of her naked body and started getting himself dressed.

They soon found a beautiful hot spring, protected by weeping willows. Sesshoumarou had made a mental note to recreate this setting in his own private gardens, as she seemed to love the place. She had even told him that they were her favourite trees. He also noted that information, as he knew that he would need all he could have in order to win her over. He could feel that she was in an amorous disposition, and knew that the setting played its part. They had come across a small pond on their way to their current spot, and Sesshoumarou had fished some fresh trout for their dinner. He knew that after their day, they would most likely both be famished. They had set up camp and she had surprised him by casting a spell on a twig, setting it in a large campfire. She had explained that the spell would remain until she undid it. He was fascinated by it.

She had then filleted the fish, giving him the fresh, uncooked fish. He had noticed that she had eaten only a small portion of hers raw, and had cooked the rest with some herbs that she had found along the way. The smell of the cooking fish actually brought water to his mouth. He had always preferred his meats raw, but was curious about the taste of what she was cooking. She smiled warmly at him as she offered him a piece to taste. He promptly accepted it and ate it. He could say that it did not repulse him as did all other cooked meats. She had lightly warmed it, and it was still raw in the middle. He liked the subtle perfumes the herbs infused in the meat. He smiled at her to let her know that he liked it.

Sesshoumarou looked at the small miko intently, as he said: "Now, pray tell, my Sakura, what is it that you wanted to tell me before I accepted our agreement?" She shot a nervous glance towards the demon lord. He knew that what she was about to tell him greatly disturbed her, and he wondered what terrible secrets she could be hiding. She started, her voice insecure: "I want to show you something first..." She got to her feet and walked towards the demon lord. He was watching her intently as she started to loosen her kimono top. He wanted to get her to relax a little, so he said, teasing: "If you were still in that kind of a mood, you should have said so... there was no need for us to get dressed..." She smiled nervously as she turned around, and knelt, her back facing him. He chuckled and said: "This works for me as well, as I am a dog demon... though I much prefer having a direct access to your sweet lips..." She shot him an annoyed glare, saying: "Will you stop this for a moment?" He smirked, as he did truly prefer her angry to anxious.

She finished removing her top, and he could see her bare back in all its glory. That's when he noticed that it was covered in strange, silver scripts. He did not know the language of it, nor did he know what it meant. She was sitting, patiently waiting for him to look at her. She felt his claws running up and down her back, the pressure very light so that it would not break the skin. She felt him move closer to her, and felt his warm tongue run down her spine, and her entire flesh got covered in goose bumps from the feeling. She liked what he was doing, but this was not why she had shown him the markings on her back. He then spoke up, saying: "If you wish it, my Sakura, I will continue what I am doing... but I am quite curious as to what these markings are..."

Sakura sighed deeply as she would have preferred that to let him continue rather than tell him what the spell on her back was. She started, her voice unsure: "There is a demon sealed within me. What you see is the spell that keeps it sealed up. The number of characters depends on the month, as it matches the lunar cycle. Each day, one character disappears, until none are left. On that night, the demon is freed and rips out of me. I have to fight it, and whoever wins gets to be free. It has been so since I became a woman. I was twelve winters old when it started. When you found me on the open road a few nights ago, that is what had happened to me."

Sesshoumarou's mind was racing as he was assimilating the information that she was giving him. A few points in her story did not sit well with him, and he needed more information. He then asked: "When was this demon sealed within you?" She took no time to answer: "When I was born" The demon lord frowned, as he asked: "How strong is this demon?" Sakura frowned as she did not know how to answer. She had noticed that explaining concepts through examples worked well with the demon lord, so she said: "I do not know how strong you are when your full demonic aura is released, but I can tell you that she is stronger than you are currently. She is also stronger than your half brother, and stronger than the demon we have crossed. I would have to say that, currently, even if you and Inuyasha were to join forces, I doubt that you would be able to defeat her. Does this answer your question?"

Sesshoumarou nodded, and then asked: "Do you hear her thoughts?" Sakura once again frowned before answering: "Not really... I can speak with her if I want to, but I doubt that she cares..." As soon as she had spoken these words, Sesshoumarou heard thoughts not his own push into his own mind. _**'It's not true, I always cared... you were just not listening...'**_ said her husky inner voice. _'How can I listen if you don't say anything?'_ answered an annoyed miko. _**'Don't blame me, you are always so cerebral, never trusting your instincts... it is only here, where that marvellous brain of yours sometimes fails you that you have to rely on those baser instincts and feelings... You never even paid attention to me in the times where you grew up, as opposed to now, where your instincts are needed...' **_Sakura was at a loss. She did not know what to answer to the voice which had just spoken up. She now recognised this voice as that of the demon that she had to face every month, but also associated it with the voice which had given her recent warnings.

Sesshoumarou was watching her intently. He had heard the recent argument that she had just had with her inner voice, and he could swear that he had experienced something similar in the past. He just had to identify what it was... His beast provided the answer when it spoke. _**'You really are thick sometimes...' **_it said, in a husky voice. _'What do you mean by this?'_ Sesshoumarou asked. _**'Do you not recognize the similarities between our arguments? Our miko simply never had to rely on her instincts, so she does not know what they sound like...'**_ answered the beast. _'True, but my Sakura is human, she does is not supposed to have internal dialogs with her instincts, only higher level demons do that...'_ as he answer, the answer became clearer to the demon lord. He spoke softly as he said: "My Sakura, you are saying that all these years you have fought this demon who, from what you have told me, is quite strong, and survived?"

Sakura had heard the mental exchange between Sesshoumarou and his beast, and was not so certain as to where it was all going. She simply nodded to answer his question. He then looked down and asked: "In your time, have you ever encountered a miko, or any human who possessed a stronger aura than you?" When she shook her head, he continued: "Let your Sesshoumarou tell you of his younger brother Inuyasha... He is a half demon, as our father mated a human and produced a son. He is quite strong, and so is his demon blood. He carries a sword with him, the Tetsusaiga, which was forged from our father's fang. It keeps his demon blood in balance, as his human blood cannot contain it. From what you are telling me, you do not only carry this demon within you, you also can best it during battles? From what I have seen, just the mere fact that it rips out of your body should kill you, and yet you are able to best it in a weakened state..." His voice trailed out as he pondered the possibilities.

The young miko was quite confused. She could normally follow most conversations, but now, her mind was completely blank. She said: "I think I am able to draw from her powers to heal myself, just as I have drawn from your aura to heal Kagome's pups. That could explain why I could fight her while being wounded." Sakura was not convinced by her own words. She saw that the demon lord was not as well as he was shaking his head and said: "This could explain only a few lucky times, when you would have caught her off guard... you cannot draw from my powers if I don't willingly allow you to, just as I cannot draw from yours if you are not willing. You say that this demon has been sealed within you since birth... Do you truly believe that such a powerful demon could be sealed within a human pup and not break free?" Sakura frowned, as she had asked herself the same questions many times. As she did not answer, Sesshoumarou took it as a cue to continue his theory: "I don't believe that a demon is sealed within you, but I think that you, my little miko, are not what you believe to be. I think that it is not a separate demon that is sealed within you, but that it is your own demonic strength that was bound at your birth..." Before he could finish, Sakura interrupted him: "Don't you honestly think that I have not already considered this? I have been trained in the arts of the mikos, but I am still able to admit that I could have been born a demon and then cursed... I, however, have never felt any of the usual signs of a curse, nor have any other miko or priests strong enough to read this seal."

Sesshoumarou felt her aura spike and knew that she was upset. He ran his hands up and down her back, stretching his aura in a warm, tender and caring way. She reacted by letting her own aura rise and wrap him in it. Sesshoumarou leaned in closer so her bare back was pressed against his chest. He coiled his arms around her waist and then said: "My Sakura, I feel no hatred in this seal on your back, contrary to curses... I feel warmth and love... I think this was done to protect you." Sakura frowned as she analysed what he said, before answering: "So in your opinion, I would be a demon, and my demonic strength would have been sealed at birth for my own protection?..."

Sesshoumarou knew that she had formulated her thoughts as a question, but it was only meant as a way to summarize his hypothesis. He did not speak, and let her process the information. He could see that her analytical mind was analysing what information he had given her and was trying to process it the best it could. She then spoke, her voice a mere whisper: "Tell me, my Sesshoumarou, are demon markings any indications of their heirloom?" The demon lord was somewhat surprised by her question and answered the best he could: "Yes and no... They can sometimes tell of a demon's lineage, but also tell of a demon's strength. In my case, my crescent is a symbol passed down from my mother's linage. This is, however, a family crest and only noble families pass down these markings. The color of my stripes comes from my father. He, however, had only one stripe on his cheeks, where I have two. When the demon blood takes over my younger brother, he also has only one stripe." When he saw her ponder his answer, the demon lord nuzzled his nose in her hair, and said: "Would you tell your Sesshoumarou what this demoness looks like?"

Sakura could feel the demon lord's warm aura around her, and felt at ease discussing a subject that was taboo for her. She started, her voice low and calm: "She is an almost perfect image of myself. She aged as I have, changed with the seasons and reached adulthood as I have. The main differences I could point out are her silver streaks in her hair, and the silver stripes that line her body. She also has stripes on her cheeks, two silver and a black one for a total of three. She also has stars on her forehead, three as well, one large one flanked by two small ones. Everything else is the same as me... Am I making any sense?"

Sesshoumarou's heart clenched as he heard the description of the demon locked within her, as it sounded so similar, yet his brain refused to ponder the possibilities. He answered first by a deep rumble in his chest, as he felt her so tense and wanted her to relax. He felt her body go numb in his embrace, and leaned back on a nearby willow trunk for support. He then spoke, in a low, deep voice: "Yes it does make sense... Pray tell, my Sakura, why is it that you felt that it was important that you shared this information with your Sesshoumarou before we agreed on the conditions of our mating?"

Though she had felt completely relaxed a few moments before, Sakura felt all of the tensions return, as her body now was stiff as a board. She answered, as patiently as she could: "One of the things that has come out from our discussions is that you want me to bare you pups... I don't know if my... how to say... condition would allow me to even be able to... to... conceive... though I would wish nothing else than to be able to give you strong pups, I do not know if it is even possible..." her voice broke. She had come to terms with the fact that she might never have children of her own, but now that there might be a possibility that a man saw her as a potential mate opened old wounds.

Sesshoumarou had followed her though process quite easily and answered: "Do you think that this is really something that would stop your Sesshoumarou? If after repeated trials you, my Sakura, my future mate cannot produce an heir, then we can always think of getting a concubine to conceive... Though this female will have to get your approval, as your Sesshoumarou will not rut with just any female who does not meet your standards... and as soon as this concubine is pupped, your Sesshoumarou will have nothing else to do with her, and my Sakura, may I add, you will be expected to raise the pup as though it came from your own womb..." Sesshoumarou could not be more surprised by the reaction that came from his miko. She turned around and kissed him in a passionate, almost desperate kiss. He felt her wet cheeks and could smell the salt of her tears, but paid no attention to them. He returned the kiss in the same inflamed passion that she had demonstrated, to show that that he had meant every word that he had spoken. He held her close to him in a tight embrace, afraid that if he let go, he would lose her forever.

Sesshoumarou knew that she was exhausted, and needed her rest, and while kissing her he resumed the deep rumbling sound which he knew soothed her. He felt her go numb in his arms, and while her body slowly collapsed upon him, he heard her whisper: "This is not fair, how can you have such power over me?..." He felt her surrendering to slumber, and before she was completely gone, he whispered softly: "It is only fair that I have this little ability to bring you comfort when you are distressed, as in exchange, you bring me so much more... I can only hope that one day, my Sakura can feel for her Sesshoumarou the same way he feels for her..." the answer he received greatly satisfied him, and promised him of times to come. Though Sakura had already succumbed to slumber, her body reacted instinctively to the demon lord's feelings, and she was now licking and nibbling at his neck, at the exact same spot where a mating mark should be. Sesshoumarou found solace in her action and was about to force himself into a peaceful meditation when he felt his Sakura's body erupt into a deep rumble, mimicking his own. He felt it spread through his body, relaxing all his tensed muscles. He was amazed, as no females, not even his own mother, had ever made him feel so relaxed. He felt the webs of slumber tightening around him, and could only comply, as his exhausted body screamed for some rest.

The sleeping couple were in not state to notice hazel eyes watching them from high within a tree. Hawk knew that his lord needed his help. Though he was still bound by the spell which contained his demonic aura, he would help his lord in any way, shape or form. Hawk knew that he would have to gain the trust of the demon lord of the Western lands before he could get close to his real master, the one he had sworn allegiance to some two hundred years ago. He had been master strategist, and a plan was already forming in his head, one which would allow him to not only get the Western lord's approval of his presence, but also make his lord trust him, as he was meant to be his master's closest council member, her most trusted retainer...

Though still lost in his thoughts, Hawk felt the demonic aura closing in on his lord. He flew down to the miko's shoulder and started nipping at her ear, squawking at the same time, trying to wake her. She mumbled in her sleep, trying to brush him away. Hawk's instincts told him that the demon lord made her feel a little too comfortable, as she seemed oblivious to the incoming danger. He then started to squawk in the sensitive demon lord's ear, as loud as he could. He saw the demon lord instantly wake up, looking into the small bird's eyes.

Sesshoumarou stared into round hazel eyes, and knew that the small bird of prey sitting on his miko's shoulder was no threat. He suddenly felt the demonic aura approaching. He knew that the demon who was approaching was no match for him. He could take him on from his spot, sitting and not even breaking a sweat. However, he did not want his miko to be covered in gore, as she seemed to dislike it. He moved her aside gently, and saw the small winged predator move to stay in top her, spreading his wings in a menacing way. Sesshoumarou smiled at the bird, feeling no threat from it. He turned around to find himself facing a foul smelling slug demon. Sesshoumarou let his poisonous whip snake out of his slender clawed hand and with one flick of the wrist, the slug was transformed into a pool of foul smelling slime.

The demon lord knew that he would not be able to sleep because of the smell. He knelt next to his miko and picked her up bridal style, ever so gently so she would not wake. He knew that there were caves about half an hour's walk away from their spots. The walk was a minor disagreement to have a pleasant night of sleep. The small bird of prey had left, as soon as the slug had been slain. Sesshoumarou was now puzzled by the little predator's attitude. He had rarely seen a predator approach another to warn them of incoming danger. He pushed the thought aside, as he had now arrived to the cave. He sat in one of the corner, where the ground was free of jagged stones. He comfortably installed his miko in his lap, her head resting on his chest, his chin resting on her head. Her body resumed its' rumbling and Sesshoumarou quickly found sleep.

A/N: That's all for today folks, hope you have enjoyed it!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Hello mina-san! Thanks for the reviews, they were really appreciated, I do my best Lemons in this one, though I was too lazy to do the usual warning... If you're under age, skip his chapter :P

Sesshoumarou woke up to find himself alone in the cave. He quickly spread out his demonic aura to find any threats around him, and found his miko outside the entrance to the cave. He got up and walked up to her in a silent, predatory stance. He wanted to see what she was doing that demanded her sneaking out. He got to the entrance of the cave, the sun prickling his eyes. He then saw her, bathed in dawns' light, moving slowly to an unknown rhythm. The demon lord was quite happy watching her move in her silent dance, when he noticed the two kusarigama firm in her hands. He then associated her smooth movements with those of a kata, and watched her, amazed as she wielded the weapons with grace and elegance.

Sakura had awakened when the sun rose, quite against her usual habits. She had found herself unable to get back to sleep, and did not want to wake the demon lord with her tossing and turning. She was slightly confused when she got up, as she was quite convinced that she had fallen asleep under a weeping willow in the demon lord's arms, and now woke up in a cave. Nevertheless, she woke up in the demon lord's arms, which gave her some reassurance that she was safe. She wanted to go and do her morning exercise routine, but she sensed that it was best if she stayed close to Sesshoumarou. She had walked to the opening of the cave, where she knew she was still close enough her him to sense her as well as ear her if there were any issues.

She wanted to try summoning other weapons, as she had seen her demon use many of them throughout the years. She enjoyed using the large monster sword, but knew that there would be situation where the size of it would make it slightly cumbersome to handle. She had remembered the kusarigama first, so she had summoned those. She was quite pleased when she felt them materialize in her hands. She wasted no time and started her exercises, moving the two small weapons with ease. She knew how practical and deadly these little weapons were in mid-range battles. Like most weapons, she had mastered the movements of the deadly little sickles. She noticed the demon lord the moment he had awakened, and felt that he was now watching her with avid interest. Sakura truly did not mind, as she was used to giving weapons demonstrations, and she actually enjoyed feeling the eyes of the demon lord on her.

Sesshoumarou did not miss any of her movements. He had always enjoyed watching an expert handle their weapons, and his little miko was handling the kusarigama with such grace that she made it look effortless. He had seen most use only one, as manipulating two at the same time could prove most deadly to the handler, for it required exact planning and coordination. He wasn't easily impressed, and he had to admit that the woman standing in front of him had done so more than once in the past few days.

Though Sakura had been concentrating on her movements, she had not failed to notice that another pair of eyes was catching her every movements. She had spotted the small bird of prey in the tree and was quite surprised that he had not flown away as she had started twirling her weapons. She knew that he wasn't in range of her weapons, but was still weary of the little bird as she did not want to accidentally injure it. She was an accomplished falconer and respected the little creatures. She knew their behaviours quite well, and was surprised that he had not flown away yet. She finished her exercise, and turned towards the demon lord and said: "Good morning my Sesshoumarou. How are you today?" Sesshoumarou smiled at her and answered: "Quite well, and you, my miko? Did you sleep well?" Sakura was walking towards the demon lord as she answered: "I am quite well, thank you. I slept quite well... However I am convinced that we fell asleep under weeping willows did we not?"

Sesshoumarou smiled as he recalled the previous nights' events, and said: "You are quite correct my little miko. A slug demon attacked us, and the smell was so foul that I would not have been able to sleep. I moved us to this spot." When she was close enough to him, he wrapped his tail around her and brought her closer to him. When her body was close enough, Sesshoumarou buried his face in her silky hair, breathing in her smell, almost getting drunk on it. He coiled his strong arms around her, and started kissing her jaw line. He felt her wrap her arms around him. He captured her lips hungrily. He felt her respond in the same passionate way, as she deepened the kiss. He felt the warmth of her body against his, and that was enough to make his shaft harden almost instantly. He tightened his embrace around her. He nearly cursed when he heard his beast speak to him. _**'Take her now... pup her... she is nearing her heats... we want her round and full with our pups...' **_purred his beast. _'Be quiet, we will not pup her yet, she is not ready to accept us as her mate as of now... we will wait until she is ready...' _Answered Sesshoumarou. _**'But our miko said that she did not mind baring our pups even if we were not yet mated... we want to see her full, our miko will be so beautiful when she is full...' **_wined his beast. _'We will not take her yet, and I will not treat her like a concubine. We will only pup her when she is ours...'_

Though Sesshoumarou argued with his beast, it took all of his willpower not to mark her as his and taking her multiple times. He had to agree with his beast as he hardly could wait to see her pregnant with his pups. He would respect their agreement, and could only hope that she would fall in love with him sooner than the two winters mark, and she would give up on the ridiculous idea of finding that soul mate of his.

Sakura had heard the internal argument that Sesshoumarou had just had with his beast. She found it slightly amusing that his beast wanted her to be pregnant so badly. She could feel Sesshoumarou's manhood pressed against her, and could not help but be aroused. She wanted to feel him inside her and climax around him. Against her better judgment, she started moving her arms from around him to open his kimono. She demanded access to his mouth by running her tongue on his lower lips. He quickly complied, allowing her tongue to dance with his and a playful battle for dominance. She slithered her hands between the silky fabric of his kimono and ran her fingers on his soft skin. He suddenly unwrapped his arms from around her and held her wrists. He broke the kiss and she moaned her complaints. He then whispered close to her ear: "Have you changed your mind and decided to become my mate, my Sakura?"

Sakura looked him in the eyes and was slightly shocked at his question. They had agreed yesterday that they would wait, so she did not understand why he would ask her so soon. She frowned and was about to answer when he pursued: "I want you to understand that I am not trying to press, but you are so close to your heats that I am afraid I will not be able to refrain myself from marking you should we engage in any type on physical intercourse..." She gave him a disappointed pout. Sesshoumarou could not help but smile at her reaction. He kissed her again, and he felt her body press into his in a demanding way. He loosened his grip on her wrists, let go and once again wrapped his arms around her. She moaned in his mouth, which sufficed to make him loose whatever little control he still had. He let her continue running her hand on his chest, pushing open his kimono. He moved his hands to her hips, and untied the strings keeping her pants in place. His movements were shaky and lacked his usual precision, as if despair was leading his actions. He wanted her so badly that his body was not cooperating. He finally untied the bows and her pants fell to the ground. He ran his hands on the soft silky skin of her round buttocks.

Sakura felt that his hands were slightly trembling as he was removing her clothes. She couldn't help but notice that her own movements were slightly less precise, as her own hands seemed to have a will of their own. She quickly removed his clothes, feeling his skin against hers. She pulled her hands away from him only long enough for the demon lord to remove her top, waiting for her to unclasp her bra. Their kiss had taken the same lustful desperation that their movements were showing, and an outside observer might have thought that they were trying to eat each other's mouths. He crushed her naked body on his, his shaft now rubbing on her. At that moment, her mind surrendered completely and her actions were not only governed by her instincts. He was all that she wanted, all that she could ever desire, and she did not want him to find another woman. She wanted him to be all hers, just as she wanted to be his.

Sesshoumarou knew that he had completely lost control of his senses. She had driven him to the limits of insanity. Her scent was laced with her arousal, and it made him mad. He needed to feel her right here and now, and he could no longer restrain himself. He placed his hands on her round rump and lifted her so her strong, smooth legs were wrapped around his body. He could feel his manhood against her warm wet folds. The feeling sent shivers down his spine.

The demon lord was about to penetrate her in one swift thrust when screeching squawks pierced his sensitive ears, and he felt sharp talons scraping at his scalp. He couldn't help but drop his faire and try to pry the bird loose from his head.

Sakura fell to the ground unceremoniously, and the shock was enough to break her out of her hormonal fit. Her wits came back to her instantly, and she was now watching a strange spectacle. She could see a demon in his birthday suit angrily hissing at a small bird of prey screeching from the top of his head. She did not know whether she should intervene or just roar in laughter at the scene.

She somehow knew that the small hawk attacking the demon lord was no ordinary raptor, and she wanted to at least get a chance to examine it before Sesshoumarou tore it to pieces. She placed her fingers to her mouth and let out a sharp whistle, one she would use on all her raptors to recall them to her arm. She also held out her bare right arm, knowing that the bird's talons would most likely shred her skin, but little did she care at the moment. She only wanted the small bird away from Sesshoumarou.

Hawk had heard his lord's command to return to her, and never would he go against a direct order. He let go of the demon's hair and aimed for her outstretched arm. At the last minute, he veered to land a few inched from her on the floor. He knew that he would hurt her sensitive skin if he landed on her bare arm and he wanted to avoid this at all costs. He could see the eastern demon lord walking towards them, and the angry glare that he was giving the small bird scared him. Hawk hid behind his lord, as she had called him to her, he hoped that she would not let him be harmed.

Sesshoumarou saw the bird hide behind his miko. He roared at her, saying: "Move out of the way, so I may shred that thing to pieces." Sakura gave him a sharp look and answered: "I called him and he obeyed, he is no threat. He does not act like a normal bird of prey, and I would like to observe him before you have your way with him, if that is all right with you, my Sesshoumarou." Sesshoumarou glared at her, before turning around to pick up his clothes and get dressed.

She mimicked his actions, and noticed that the bird followed her every moves, hopping in her shadow. She could not help but find the little creature endearing. Once fully clothed, she turned her attention to the small raptor, which was patiently waiting for her. She sat in the sand and watched it walking to her, positioning himself a few inches away from her. She started petting him and was surprised that he let her touch him.

From experience, she knew that these birds were not only hard to tame and train, and they stayed somewhat wild and indifferent to handlers who weren't their own. She had seen one of her own prized raptor nearly rip out the eye of another falconer when he got too close to examine it during a competition. Even when trained, if set back in the wild, these birds would rarely return to human handlers and it was even less likely that they would approach a human they did not know. She looked at the bird and said: "Well little guy, you sure are a mysterious fellow, aren't you?"

Hawk looked at his master and blinked a few times before flying away. Sakura was surprised, as he had stayed for such a long time that she had hoped that he would be her first of many new falcons. Sesshoumarou was now glaring at her, as she had made him lose his kill. He seemed even angrier when she started laughing. He narrowed his eyes and hissed: "Pray tell, what is it that you find so amusing, my miko?" Sakura now had tears in her eyes as she answered: "You, my Sesshoumarou, a powerful lord would actually dirty his hands by killing a little bird that stopped him from getting a piece of ass... it is just amusing... I guess it is for the best though, as it seemed that we were both past the point of no return."

Sesshoumarou hated to admit it but she was right. He had been completely out of his mind when he had nearly claimed his miko's purity. When he would take her, he wanted it to be a pleasurable moment for her, and not just some mindless rutting. He simply stated: " My Sakura, if you had been, as you said, a simple piece of ass, I might not have been so angered by the interruption. Your Sesshoumarou considers you as so much more than just that, it is hard for him to..." He paused and as he saw her inquisitive stare, he simply turned around and headed towards a small path.

"Are we still heading to your stables, or do you simply want to go straight to your castle?" Asked Sakura.

Sesshoumarou seem to ponder her question a few seconds before answering: "We will go to the stables, since you need to be fitted with a horse befitting your status. I have already told you of my intentions to appoint you to my council. I will not have you travelling like a common peasant." With these words, he started walking towards the lands where he would find his horse breeder. He knew that if they didn't let any 'distractions' get in their way that they would reach his prized stables in less than a few hours.

Just as he had thought, the travel to his breeder's land took less than two hours, and was uneventful. Once they got there, they were greeted by a large dog demon who treated Sesshoumarou like a father would a son. He spoke in a deep voice and said: "My lord! What a surprise! You should have sent a missive informing me of your visit, I would have prepared a show of my finest and best trained prodigies."

Sesshoumarou could only smile at the greeting that his friend held for him. The man was one of his father's most trusted man, and he had handpicked and raised his very first horse. He had also shown him the tools of the trade, and Sesshoumarou's expert eyes could spot a strong horse from a weak one at a glance. He then spoke to the man he considered as a second father: "My companion here will be the newest member of my council. She needs a horse befitting her rank and status."

The dog demon eyed the small miko standing next to his lord. He smirked internally as he remembered how his father had a weakness for the fairer sex, and had a definite soft spot for humans. This had resulted in his second son being born a half-beast. He spoke, careful to choose his words carefully: "My lord, as you know, the horses I breed are raised to carry large demons such as yourself and the members of your council. I trust your better judgement and am quite honoured that you would bring her here to find her horse. She is quite small, and I am afraid that all the horses that I breed might be too big for her... Perhaps we could visit a few good human breeders that would have a more appropriate steed for her..."

Sesshoumarou understood where his friend was going and said, in a soft coercing voice: "Perhaps we could look at your smallest mares, see if any take to her. If we do not find any, then we will go to a breeder who has smaller breeds, is that acceptable?" The breeder nodded and turned to the small miko standing next to his lord. He had to admit, though he was never one to go for humans, she was one striking specimen. She had beautiful traits, most stunning turquoise eyes and an intelligent gaze. He could understand why his lord had taken a fancy for her. He bowed deeply, and said: "My lady, I am Uma Ikusei, I will be assisting you in finding the proper horse for you. Please know that I am most honoured that our lord has granted me with the privilege of being your council today. You may address me as Uma, or Ikusei, or anything that you wish, or you may not address me at all."

The horse breeder had spoken his usual speech, as he had been used to the other demons lack of respect. He did not care, as he knew that his lord considered him as a trustworthy friend. He did not know if the miko would show him the same disrespect and contempt that the other council member had shown him, but he did not care. He would obey proper etiquette in front of his lord, as his actions could have serious repercussions on his reputation.

Sakura had been taken back by the formality of the horse master's introduction. He had bowed deeply before giving her his name, which she knew meant simply 'horse breeder'. She remembered that only noble born and samurais were allowed to have a name. Others were simply known by their professions. She felt her heart sink. She had seen how Sesshoumarou seemed to hold great respect for the older man, and the fact the he grovelled before her made her sick to her stomach. She placed her hand on the man's cheek and said in a sweet voice: "It would be my greatest honour if you would allow this small miko to call you friend..."

The man who was bowing in front of her stood in the blink of an eye. When he saw that she was smiling warmly at him, he returned the smile. Never had his lord brought a council member who was warm and caring. He risked a quick sniff and found that her smell carried such strange complexity. He understood what had gotten his lord interested in her in the first place. He turned and slowly headed towards his stables. He knew he had a few small and docile mares that might be appropriate for her. He had kept them alive as he knew that they could be great for lower demons, or to train smaller high ranking female pups. He turned and said: "My lady, would you please wait outside, while I seek out Lord Sesshoumarou's approval first and saddle the mares I have in mind for you? The stables are no place for a lady..."

Sakura was about to open her mouth to argue, but Sesshoumarou spoke before she could utter a word: "I agree, besides, there are matters males only discuss between themselves that I wish to address with my horse master." Sakura pouted slightly and answered: "Of course, lord Sesshoumarou. May I walk around the grounds and look at the other horses?" Her new friend beamed with joy and pride as he answered: "Of course you may! You will also be able to watch the stable boys work. Just watch out for the grey stallion in the isolated pen. I keep him only for breeding. I wasn't able to break him in the two hundred years that I have had him, and he is quite wild and unpredictable." Sakura nodded and watched the two men walk away from her.

She started walking on the small trail that led her away from where she was standing, and towards the large figures that were grazing afar. She suddenly heard a sharp and strong neighing. She turned to see a large silver stallion on his rear legs, beating his hooves menacingly, threatening a young apprentice handler. He boy was on the ground, shivering before the horse.

Sakura sped towards the boy. She only hopped that she could reach the angry horse before he could hurt him. She then noticed that the horse was only giving an alpha display of strength, and the boy would be fine if he remained still. Her nervousness grew when she saw him starting to get up to flee. Sakura increased her speed and reached the boy in less than a second. She stood between the horse and the boy, looking straight at the horse as she spoke: "That's enough. Don't you think that your silly tantrum has lasted for long enough?" With her words, the horse reared once again, but she did not budge, looking the horse straight in the eyes. The horse seemed to calm down, eyeing the female who stood before him. He could smell that she was human, and that she was a miko. He also smelled something else. He knew her, from a past long forgotten. He had been a beast for so long that he forgot what it was to actually think and reason. He stared into deep turquoise eyes, as his memory of a time long forgotten finally returning. He suddenly saw two dog demons rushing towards them. He placed himself between them and her, as he knew that he could never forgive himself if he let the little miko die in his presence. Both dog demons seemed to back down, and he felt small hands on his side. He saw that she had placed her hands on him and was trying to sooth him through her touch. He would trust her, and since if she trusted them, they had to be safe.

Sakura had followed her instincts when trying to sooth the horse. He had been the largest stallion that she had ever seen. She did not let his size impress her. She knew how a horses' mind worked, and if he could identify her as his leader, he would follow her lead. Horses lived in matriarchal groups, and they would follow an older mare as she would protect them and lead them to safety. If he identified her as his mare, he would be hers. When she saw him taking a protective stance between her and the two demons, she knew that she had reached her goal. She now needed to let him understand that the two demons were no threats. She first calmed down the stallion, using her hands and body warmth. She then moved to the two males standing before her, flabbergasted. She started by approaching Sesshoumarou, as he was the dominant male, rubbing her face on his chest, until he lowered his shoulders, allowing her rub her nose in the crook of her neck. Her keen instincts told her that the stallion relaxed, and she continued her ministration. She felt the older demon moving closer to Sesshoumarou.

She then moved to him, surprising both the horse breeder and Sesshoumarou. She rubbed her face on his chest, and as he finally realized what she was doing, he lowered his shoulders so she may rub her nose in his neck. He heard the younger demon let out a deep menacing growl as she did so, and though he felt her pause, she did not stop until the horse came to them, trotting lightly. He first nuzzled Sesshoumarou, the same way his mare had. The demon did not enjoy the contact, but allowed the horse to follow its instincts. He then followed lead and nuzzled the older demon.

Sakura moved back to Sesshoumarou, who now seemed to be livid. She had heard him growl when she had approached the older male and had completely ignored him. She buried her face in his neck and offered hers in exchange, hopping that this submissive action would calm him slightly. She felt his aura flare and then recede. She sighed heavily as she felt arms wrap around her. Sesshoumarou started licking her in the crook of her neck, and she finally relaxed. She felt a large snout nuzzling itself to their sides and she lazily petted the horses head. She heard the demon lord speak: "You scared your Sesshoumarou, my miko." Sakura felt a pinch in her chest. She had not meant to scare him, but as she had acted on instinct, she had not thought of the dangers of her actions. She whispered in his ears: "I deeply apologize, my Sesshoumarou. How about you let me make it up to you later..." Sesshoumarou had to use all of his self control not to kiss her. He had genuinely been scared when he had seen her next to the stallion. He relaxed and buried his face in her hair.

The older demon was baffled at the scene that was playing before him. He knew that any foolish soul stupid enough to even suggest that his lord would take a human lover in his presence would find themselves offered a slow and painful death. Not only had he heard him claim her as his, he was now witnessing the cold demon lord showing her deep affection in public. He had know him since he was a pup, and he remembered when his father, proud that he had learned how to ride properly had tried to give him a manly hug of affection, had found himself disappointed and rejected, as the whelp did not want to show any form of public display of his feelings.

Sesshoumarou let go of his miko, as he felt his old friend's eyes burning a hole through his head. She followed his lead, and looked at the older demon and said: "You certainly weren't speaking about this particular grey horse, were you?" The old breeder blushed slightly and answered: "This very one my lady. He seems to like you. Perhaps you would like to try to saddle him and go for a ride?" Sakura pondered his answer and said: "Well, since he has never been ridden, I will first try bareback, I don't want him nervous because of a saddle. I will train him later for the saddle..." The horse breeder looked at her, astonished, before he said: "You ride bareback?..." His question was rhetorical, but she still nodded, as large smile on her face.

Sesshoumarou watched the scene, amused. His miko was now leading the way to the clearing, where she would allow her new stallion to run freely. He also saw his old friend watch his little miko with a mixture of awe and fright. The older dog demon spoke and said: "I have to say, lady Sakura, I am thoroughly impressed with your skills. I was considering putting down the poor beast, as it has injured and killed so many of my stable boys. Have you ever considered becoming a breeder yourself?..." Sesshoumarou could not miss the hope in his old friend's voice. He knew that the years had been kind to him, but none of his pups had shown the same devotion to his trade as him, and none would be able to keep his expertise alive.

Sakura, being as perceptive as the demon lord was, did not miss the meaning of his phrase. She spoke with warmth and kindness in her voice: "My friend, I have considered many things... Since we do not know if tomorrow is going to exist, it is foolish to speak of a thousand tomorrows... I can tell you that currently, I am bound to service to Lord Sesshoumarou, and it is my greatest honour to be so bound,and so for as long as he sees me worthy of being in his service. If it is an apprentice you seek, you have someone here in your service that could prove to be more than appropriate, if you gave him a chance." Both the demon lord and the horse breeder looked at her inquisitively. Sakura smiled, as she recalled the awe in the stable boys eyes, as he had watched the horse. He could be great, if someone had the patience to teach him. She looked at both demons and said: "I did save the boy, so his life belongs to me, does it not?"

Sesshoumarou narrowed his eyes, as he knew that his miko had something behind her mind. He would let her follow, as he was curious as to where she was going: "Yes, my miko, his life belongs to you, as he is not your kin and certainly not a miko, so you had no obligations towards him." She smiled warmly back at him as she spoke: "Well, then I have a proposal that I believe will be beneficial to all. I can train the boy to understand the horses as well as I do. I will teach him how to train a horse, as well as care for them, identify common diseases and cure them with herbs. In exchange, I will have a stable boy for my stallion whom I can trust. In two winter's time, the boy will be returned to you for your approval, and for you to finish training him, as he will be as skilled as I am by then." She watched both demons as they pondered her proposal. Sesshoumarou, who answered first, as she had planned, said: "This boy will be residing in my castle, pray tell, my miko, how will your Sesshoumarou gain from this agreement?"

Sakura had planned for this question, and answered confidently: "Your horse master will need an heir eventually, and this will give you one you can trust. If the boy does not meet his high standards, then you will find yourself with a highly trained stable boy, who will eventually be a great candidate to becoming your next stable master. Who knows, he might develop a passion for caring for animals and become your next care giver for your entire menagerie..." Sesshoumarou could only admit that her plan was beneficial for all, as he slowly inclined his head in agreement.

Both then turned to the horse breeder who seemed speechless. Not only had an exceptional individual agreed to train his protégé, but she had gotten the demon lord to agree to it. He was getting old and had less and less patience with young pups, and knew that if he could get someone with a quarter of her skills, he could do wonders. He just did not have to patience to start from scratch anymore. He slowly nodded and agreed, feeling that he was getting the better end of the bargain. Not only was he getting a troublesome stallion of his hands, he would potentially gain a trained apprentice. He was starting to understand why this young little miko seemed to have his demon lord wrapped around her little finger. The older demon knew that if she had stayed, he would have bent to her every wills, as a reed in the wind.

He then looked at his demon lord in a new eye. No, he was no reed; he was as a willow standing strong on a mountain, the wind dancing around him. Though his branches ruffled, neither the tree nor the mountain would bow to the wind, just as the wind would not stop howling for the mountain in her path. The old demon looked at the two younger beings standing in front of him and wondered for one brief instant how a miko, one whose sole purpose was to destroy evil, and a demon lord, whom had held such disdain for human, had now found their destinies locked in such a twirling dance. Perhaps she was meant to uproot him and bring him elsewhere, far from the limits of his own constructed safety zone. He had seen the difference in his lord's behaviour. He had seen how scared he had been when he thought that she would be hurt, and had seen how tender he had been with her. The older demon was quite happy for his young lord, as he had feared that the pup would never find a female he would care for, and would simply mate a demoness to produce an heir, as had his father done with his first mate.

The older demon had become somewhat of a confidant to the previous lord. He had entrusted him with his deepest secrets and fears. The horse breeder knew that as soon as his lord's mate had been full with his pup, no further rutting had taken place in their chambers. His friend had suggested something along the lines that Sesshoumarou's mother did not look at him as a mate, only as a good friend, and that she seemed to share an odd relation with her maids. She had told him to seek out pleasure with other women, as long as he remained discreet. The old breeder knew that Sesshoumarou was somewhat clueless when it came to handling women, and other than a few ruts here and there, he hadn't done much with the fairer sex. He had been curious when he had said that he had manly issues he wanted to address with him, and was curious as to what those were. He was secretly hopping that they were about the miko, as he was itching to find out more about their relationship.

Both demon lords were impressed when they saw the stallion bend to accommodate the small miko. Since he was about twice as big as the biggest human horse breed, he towered above her and would have been unable to mount if he had not done so. She gracefully jumped on his back and he let her get comfortable before he stood.

Sakura had to adjust her balance, as she did not have as much grip with her legs, as he was much bigger than any other horse she had ridden. The secret behind bareback riding was the horseman's ability to hold on to the horse with the strength of his leg. Sakura knew that she would have to hold on to his glossy mane if she was to remain on his back. She buried her fingers in his coarse hair and felt him start to pick up speed. She then clicked her tongue, out of habit, to have him go faster. His ears turned in her direction, and he seemed to understand her command. He started trotting happily, feeling his light rider on his back. Her warmth spread through him, and he enjoyed her scent. He felt completely at ease, as she was his mare, his leader. He heard her click her tongue once more, and he sped into full gallop. He felt her happiness, which brought warmth to his chest. It had been a long time since he felt this way, and was quite content to have a master back in his life. He was a good follower, and was happy to have an alpha lead the way. He felt a presence next to him. He slightly turned his head to see that the alpha male her mare had rubbed onto was now running next to him in graceful leaps, watching the female on his back. The stallion felt no threat from him, as he had a playful light in his eyes.

Sesshoumarou had felt his miko's excitement. She enjoyed riding the horse, and it was quite obvious to him. As she picked up speed, he felt his instinct kick in, as he wanted to chase her. It took him seconds before he had caught up to them, and he saw that her face was covered in a blissful expression, one that he had seen only after he had completely exhausted her body the previous night. He had to admit that he found her mesmerizing, as her long hair was flowing freely in the wind, she gave him an impression of wilderness, of something that had yet not been tamed.

Sakura knew that the demon lord had been chasing them as soon as he had started after them. She wanted to test her stallion's speed, and the best way to do so was in a friendly race. She held on tightly to the horse's mane with her right hand, and let her left hand travel to the horses back. She slapped him twice, smacking her lips in a kiss. Her horse understood immediately and sped as if the devil was nipping at its hooves. Sesshoumarou noticed their increase in speed and did his best to keep up. He was already at the fastest he could run with his demonic aura sealed, and he found the added speed draining. He kept up for honour's sake, but when she started veering into complicated patterns, the demon lord started falling behind.

Sesshoumarou wondered how, without a bridle, was she able to veer the horse so quickly. It was as though she was controlling the stallion's mind or that he could hear her thoughts. He had seen masters, such as his horse breeder, have horses that had been trained for years, obey their every wills through body language. He was simply shocked to see that she was able to share a bound so profound with the animal so quickly.

Sakura had noticed that her demon lord had fallen behind. Since she knew that he would probably take it personally if he did not gain up on them, she wanted the stallion to slow down, so she slightly leaned back, and the stallion responded immediately by lowering his paste. She could feel that he was itching for a longer run, but she would not allow it for today. She would allow him to run alone for his own pleasure, while she remained by Sesshoumarou's side.

Sesshoumarou noticed that the horse had slightly slowed down, and he saw that Sakura had changed her stance on his back, slightly leaning backwards. He understood what she had done, as she could have won the chase easily. She had a playful grin dancing on the lips he craved. He let his own lips grow in a grin as he said, loud enough for her to hear: "know this, my miko, this is the only stallion this Sesshoumarou will allow you to ride..." He was satisfied when a deep crimson veiled her cheeks. She took a few seconds to recuperate and answered: "My Sesshoumarou, this stallion brings me such pleasure, why would I need to ride another?..."

With her words, Sakura once again slapped her stallion's side and he sped even faster away from Sesshoumarou. The demon lord abandoned his chase, as he knew that there would be no way for him to catch up to them. He slowly broke from his trail, and any outside observer would think that he had voluntarily done so, as it would have seemed to the untrained eye that he had chased after her just to give her some order and let her leave to carry it out.

Sesshoumarou returned to the old demon at his own leisurely pace. He noticed that the older male was eying him in a calculating way. The breeder asked him: "What was it, young lord, that you wanted to discuss, male to male?" The demon lord couldn't help but smile. His old friend has seen through him, as he always did. The man was more a father to him than the one whom had governed these lands. Sesshoumarou sighed heavily as he answered: "My friend, you know that I see you as a second father, do you not?"

The old demon was surprised at this sudden declaration. He was slightly chocked as he answered: "And you know that I treat you just as I do any of my own pups..."

Sesshoumarou smiled, as he knew that his friend had spoken from deep within. He continued: "My old friend, a dark miko has cursed me. She has sealed my demonic aura. Though powerful her spell, my beast is not completely contained. I still am more powerful than most demons I face. I am certain that you have noticed however that my limits are not what they usually are, from the little chase which I obviously lost..." Sesshoumarou saw the older man repress a grin. Sesshoumarou then followed: "I have found my miko on the roads to edo, as I was heading there to find a strong miko whom I thought could help me. My Sakura had fatal wounds, and I brought her to a miko who is the best healer in that region, and when she regained consciousness, my Sakura's sense of honour spoke and she offered to repay her debt. She also saved my younger half-brother's pups, and I asked her to bare their debts as payment for my help."

Sesshoumarou paused, as he somehow felt out of breath, recalling the previous few days' events. As he saw that his friend was looking at him in a pressing way, he went on telling him the events that had taken place in the past forty eight hours, leaving only a few details out. He told him of how she had red his curse, agreed to help him, then how he had invaded her dream and how terrible he had felt about overstepping his boundaries when he had found out what terrible wounds her past held, followed by how he could repent his sins, by showing her how to trust again.

The older demon felt his mind spinning while trying to process all the information he had just been given. He paused and to answer: "I am getting old, my young pup, and I cannot analyse situations as quickly as I could in my glory days. Would you let your old friend ponder your words before I answer?" Sesshoumarou looked as though he was going to argue at first, but only nodded in acceptance, as he knew that it was not fair to ask for an opinion after so much information had been given.

The two males watched the mysterious miko as she rode the large silvery stallion. The older demon had raised three daughters of his own, and could only imagine what he would do if someone harmed them in any way, shape or form, and felt a stab of pain go through his chest thinking about what the small miko had gone through. He remembered his own pups, how innocent and cheerful, and how he had always protected them. He held new wonder for the small female. She had grown to be powerful and strong, despite her painful past. He was also awed by the fact that she had been willing to try and overcome her pain by trying to trust someone again. Furthermore, that someone was a fearful demon. A thought had started to germinate in his mind, but he would need more information before giving his opinion about the matter. He worded his question carefully before addressing his lord: "May I ask what feelings you have towards the young miko?"

Sesshoumarou knew that his old friend would ask such a question. He took in a deep breath before answering: "I care for my miko. I lust for her. My Sakura drives me out of my mind. She is perfect. If she had not asked me to wait, I would have taken her and mated her last night."

The older demon took note of how his speech had taken a very possessive tone. He also noted that the pup was no longer looking at him when he spoke, but was now following the woman and the horse with a hungry look in his eyes. The older demon chuckled, which earned him an inquisitive glance from the younger demon. He answered to the unspoken question: "Well pup, it sounds like you are quite smitten by this wonderful creature. Perhaps the little miko is your soul mate, your other half... have you considered that?"

Sesshoumarou felt his heart sink to the pits of his stomach and looked down to his feet before answering: "Of course I have considered this... however; I do not think that she feels the same way. If she was my soul mate, wouldn't she return these feelings?"

His old friend gave him a warm smile before saying: "You have to give her time. Hasn't she already allowed you to tend to her wounds? Let her heal, and then you will be able to gain her love. She already returns your affections, does she not?" When Sesshoumarou nodded, the old demon continued: "Females are complicated creatures, and you have little experience with them. Give yourself some time, not all battles fought can be won in a few hours. It is obvious that she cares for you. She would not have allowed herself to be touched by you if she did not. Let her come to you and take what she gives you."

Sesshoumarou truly felt lost for the first time in his life. He was a meticulous and calculating being. He would go for plots within plots, and would guaranty his victories before attacking any foe. He was now faced with a situation where he had to advance blindly and hope he would not fail. He asked his older friend: "How can I do that when she drives me wild? I nearly mated her this morning... I no longer had any control, and she did not resist, on the contrary, she seemed to encourage it... I'm truly afraid that if I had mated her, she might have been lost to me completely."

The old breeder raised an eyebrow before asking: "What stopped you from mating her?" He was quite perplexed by the younger man's sudden confession. Sesshoumarou felt slightly embarrassed when he answered: "A bird of prey attacked me. That little pest seems to have taken to my Sakura. He woke me yesterday when a slug was closing in on us. He tore at my scalp right before I could claim her..." His embarrassment grew when the older demon roared in laughter before answering: "Serves you right pup! For all you know, this might have been her father's spirit, trying to give you a lesson for trying to take his daughter like a common whore! You, of all people, should know that there is proper protocol to respect..."

The older demon suddenly remembered his own sons, and how he had scolded them when they had gotten a little to frisky with females, as he looked at his lord who was now wearing a sorry frown on his face. Dog demons respected females, and they inculcated these notions to their male whelps. He knew that Sesshoumarou had lost his father at a fairly young age, and that he was slightly lacking in that domain. Still, he should have known better than to let himself be tempted.

He clasped a friendly hand on the younger demon's shoulder before adding: "Don't worry pup, I was your age once, and I have raised five boys, who were all quite heated when it came to the opposite gender. I know what it is to have such a tempting creature within your reach. However, you have to do things properly, especially with your little blossom. She will need to be nurtured and care for. You need to court her first... Since you are not able to ask her parents' permission, you will need to see that a lady of the court accepts her as her protégée and allows you to officially court her. She will not be accepted by your court nor your council if you do not follow etiquette."

Sesshoumarou knew that his old friend was giving him words of wisdom. He however could not care less about the fools in his court. He knew that his council would show some resistance to her, but they would eventually see her for who she was and would allow her to be one of them. He also knew that though he could not care less about the idiots fluttering around him during banquets and official events, they would make her life hell if he did not follow protocol. He sighed before saying: "I know... I just cannot think of anyone who would accept her, being who she is..."

The old demon felt his lords' distress and said: "I might know of someone who would take her... you know her as well... your own mother." When he saw the inquisitive look shot back by the demon lord, he continued: "Think of it, she has been pestering you for an heir for decades, she wants to see you mated, and from what your father had told me, and meaning no disrespect towards the lady, might be just as smitten as you by the young miko. Your miko is, after all, a fascinating and exotic creature..."

Sesshoumarou knew quite well about his mother's mating habits, and knew that she would not be blind to his miko's charms and attributes. He also knew that this was only the means to an end he desired, and he answered: "I will consider it. I have already been starting to feel very possessive of her, and I do not know how I will answer to someone else courting her, even if it is my own mother..." His comment earned him another chuckle from the older demon. He answered: "Don't worry about that, if your miko enjoys your touch and is so open to your advances, I doubt that she will turn to a female for pleasure. Though I have heard that some females enjoy both... you might end up having to please two females instead of one..."

The old demon suddenly withdrew his hand, as his playful comment had earned him a vicious snarl. He could see that the younger demon was now flexing his claws, and green poison was dripping from one of his hand, as he spoke in a deep, husky voice: **"I will not allow it..."** The older demon was now slightly nervous, as he stuttered: "I apologize my lord, I was only trying to ease your worries..."

Sesshoumarou was livid. He would not tolerate that someone might think that his mate would need the presence of another in their bed for her to be satisfied. Whether male or female, he would not allow another to lay hands on her in such a way, nor would he allow anyone to even hint such possibility. He suddenly felt soothed, as arms coiled around his core. Her scent filed his nostrils, and a deep rumble coming from her small frame, pressed against his back, instantly made him relax. He felt her warmth spread through him, and it sufficed to numb his entire being.

Sakura had felt the shift in his moods and knew that her new friend was now in danger. She had the sneaking suspicion that she was the core subject Sesshoumarou had wanted to discuss mano a mano with the older demon. When she had felt that her demon was distressed, she had started heading back to the discussing males, and she had hurried her stead when she had felt Sesshoumarou's anger flare. She had acted on instinct, and was quite surprised when her own chest erupted in a deep rumble, the same one that soothed her so much. She was relieved to see that it had the same effect on her demon lord. Being mindful of the dripping claws, she moved herself around him, pressing herself to his chest. She heard his heart beat slow down, and felt him nuzzle his face in her neck. She shuddered slightly when she heard his beast speak up in its husky voice: _**"**_**Mine**_**..." **_Sakura smiled as she had heard him say so quite a few times in the last few days, and answered: "Yes, my Sesshoumarou, I am yours..."

Sesshoumarou's beast had completely taken control, as Sesshoumarou's mind was now numb and blank. He ensured that he no longer had any poison on his claws before he wrapped his arms around his miko. He wrapped his large fluffy tail around her as well, earning him a small giggle from his miko. He spoke again, saying: _**"**_**Mine, all mine... we will not share you with another**_**..."**_

Sakura frowned and looked at him in the eyes. His golden orbs were now displaying a mixture or emotions that Sakura interpreted as jalousie. She frowned and asked: "Why would you be sharing me with another?" She was deeply confused how their conversation had led to her being shared. He answered: _**"**_**We do not want to share you with another... we will not let another touch you... you are mine..**_**." **_Sakura was getting slightly annoyed with the answer she had just gotten. Her voice firm, yet still warm, she said: "You did not answer my question... My Sesshoumarou, why would I be shared with someone else?"

He buried his face back into her neck, as he knew that she was annoyed with him. He let out a small whine, and said: _**"**_**We angered our miko... we are sorry... he said that you might like bedding females, and that we would be in bed with another female... we do not want to share you with another female... Mine, all mine..."**__

Sakura could not contain her chuckle as she spoke: "You are worrying yourself over something that will not happen, my Sesshoumarou... I can honestly say that I am not attracted by my own gender. Besides, why would I go gallivanting when I have a being so perfect as yourself?" Sakura was slightly confused as to how their conversation had led them to discussing her sexual preferences. She got part of her answer when he spoke: _**"**_**Mother had father, who was a far stronger demon than your Sesshoumarou, yet she preferred females..."**__Sakura couldn't help but smile when she answered: "It's not something you choose. We are born that way... some people prefer to mate with their own gender... My best friend was a male, and he preferred other males. That is just how it is. No matter how much your mother cared about your father, if she preferred females from the start, she could not control it. Some people also swing both ways, and that is just how they are. My Sesshoumarou, I love the way you touch me, the way you make me feel..."

Her words soothed his beast. She knew that if their conversation had gone the way she thought it did, Sesshoumarou would have reacted violently at the suggestion that she was inclined to having multiple partners. Even in her times, non conventional unions were still frowned upon, and she knew that some people had been killed for less in these times. She felt him relax in her arms, and knew that the crisis had been averted. His temper was truly like a bomb, and she seemed to be good at diffusing it. She felt him licking her neck.

When he spoke again, she knew that Sesshoumarou had regained his composure: "I apologize if I caused you to worry, my Sakura..." She kissed him lightly in the crook of the neck and said: "No worries, my Sesshoumarou... I'm only slightly curious as to how your conversation led to me potentially liking female partners..."

Sesshoumarou read the amusement in her tone, and answered: "I will follow protocol and announce that my intentions are to mate you. I order to do so, I will need to officially court you. To court you, you need a lady of the court to accept you as her protégée... My old friend suggested my mother, as she wants me to produce an heir. He also suggested that she might not be blind to your charms... that's when the conversation went downhill..." Sakura saw that he was slightly shamed by the recent events. He seemed to be angry with himself for losing control the way he had. She nuzzled her nose in his hair and kissed him again in the crook of the neck before she said: "It's alright; I might go a little berserk if I thought that I might have to share you with another female... or another male, for that matter... If you're mine, you're all mine."

The demon lord smiled at her statement and grabbed her lips greedily. He pressed her closer to his body and let his tongue slip in her mouth. He felt his body flare up in a lustful fire. His mind deserted him as he smelled her arousal rise. His shaft hardened in a painful erection, and he pressed it into her in a demanding way. She moaned in his mouth as he did so. He deepened the kiss, and her tongue answered his call, coiling itself around his.

They were so absorbed with each other that they had completely forgotten about the older demon. He couldn't help but smile at the couple before him. They were both playing with fire, as she seemed completely oblivious how close he was to mating her.

The kissing couple never saw it coming. They gasped in surprise when a bucket of ice cold water hit both their heads. They turned in shock and looked at a laughing demon. He then said playfully: "There, this should cool you two pups up for a few minutes." His tone became serious as he said: "Young lady, inside this instant. You are going in for a very cold bath. Pup, in the lake, now. Go release yourself, it will cool your mind of." His last comment earned him a snarl from an unhappy demon lord.

Nevertheless, Sesshoumarou knew that the moment had passed, and that he should be grateful that he had been interrupted by his old friend. He turned and headed towards the small lake to cool off, and saw that his miko was heading towards the house, the pounce in her step indicating that she was fuming.

The old demon did not miss how she pounced her feet with every step and knew that she was angry. He also could smell that she had been quite aroused by the demon's kiss, and he had to concentrate hard not to let himself get aroused. She pulled the door open with more strength than necessary and walked in his house. She then stopped in to foyer, waiting for him to indicate where she was supposed to go.

He took the lead and she followed him, glaring at his back. He smirked as he remembered when he had caught his own daughters sneaking around and had given them the cold bath treatment. He opened a door which led to an interior spring. He knew that the water was icy cold and would serve his purpose right. He handed her a fluffy towel, which she ripped out of his hand. He spoke to her, amused: "Same suggestion as for your demon lover, get your release, it will help you clear your mind." She violently pushed him out of the bathroom and snarled at him. He was laughing hard when she slammed the door shut. He heard her pacing and knew that she would be at it for a while, and that he would have time to go and seek his own mate to release his own desire.

Sakura was fuming. She had not been this angry in a while, and she hated feeling this way. She was quite frustrated and she was annoyed that the key to releasing her frustration was now heading towards a lake to jerk of. She knew that the old demon had done what he had for their own good, but she couldn't help but curse internally, as she really wanted what her demon lord had to offer. She could still feel the warmth of his lips on hers, as he had kissed her in such a desperate way. Each time they kissed, she could feel his need and his growing desire. She had felt how aroused he had been, and she had grown quite wet in answer to his erected member. Just the thought of him pressing against her was enough to send shivers through her entire body. She longed for his touch, and she had whished nothing other than to feel him inside her. He had taken her body through such ecstasy and she wanted more. She felt a thirst like she had never felt before. Her entire body was now consumed with an unexplainable fire that pulsated through her veins.

She had stopped her pacing, as with her growing desire it had become slightly uncomfortable. She heard her demon speak to her _**'Do as the man said, release yourself and take a cold bath, it will do some good to your body, it will help you clear your mind' **_Sakura sighed with annoyance and answered '_I don't want to, I want his touch... I want Sesshoumarou, his hands, his mouth, his body...' _Sakura felt frustrated beyond words. She sat on the cold marble floor and hit the floor with her fist. Thoughts then pushed into her mind, and she couldn't help but smile as she heard a husky voice say _**'Our miko wants us... she wants to feel us... she likes our touch... we want her.' **_She then heard Sesshoumarou's familiar voice '_Yes we want her, but we can't have her yet...' _Sakura mind worked quickly, as she knew that since their minds were connected, she could at least have some sort of fun with her demon. She then thought '_how we would like to feel his hard shaft in our hands, wouldn't we?' _her demon answered _**'Yes we sure would...'**_ _'Yes, how I love the feel of his skin on mine, how hard and long he is. I would torture him with my tongue, twirling it around his sweet tasting tip, and then running it along all his length. How I would take him all in my mouth and suck on him. I would keep on going until he would be close to coming, to be able to feel him inside me, he would feel so good inside me, pumping in and out...' _Sakura did not know if he had heard her or if she was having an erotic monologue.

Her thoughts had quite an effect on her, and her vivid imagination had produced images of her and her demon lord, as they were yesterday, under beautiful willows.

Sesshoumarou had been well on his way to the lake when he had first heard her thoughts. He knew that she was in a similar predicament as himself. When she had started describing what she wanted to do to him with such clear details, he had let his hand slither into his pants and coil around his member. She had stopped, and he wondered why. He wanted to pursue the images that she had started, and then thought '_Yes, how I long for those wet folds... so warm and so moist. I want to taste you first, suckle on your sweet nectar, and nimble at your little pleasure bud. How I like feeling you shiver under my touch, how tight you feel around my fingers, I would bring you close to your own release before entering you. How I want to devour your lips as I move in you. I want to feel your warm walls around me, oh my Sakura...' _Sesshoumarou's breathing was now ragged as he was close to release. He felt his violent climax come when he heard '_Yes, my Sesshoumarou...' _ He smirked internally as he knew that similar events had taken place inside his friend's house.

Sakura had heard her demon follow her own monologue. She lay down on the cold floor and slipped her hand inside her lace underwear. She started rubbing her pleasure bud, imagining that her demon lord was performing these ministrations. She felt her pulse quicken as his narration became more intense. She imagined him, pumping in and out of her, his body pressed against hers, kissing her passionately. When he spoke her name, she reached her peak, feeling her sweet release as she mentally cried out his name. She stayed on the floor for a few moments, letting her body cool down from the bliss she had just felt. She finally got up and started to undress. She dunked herself in the freezing water and couldn't help the gasp that escaped her lips when it hit her burning skin. Her reflex was to get out of the water, but she knew that she needed to wash the scent of arousal off her body.

Sakura knew that her scent made Sesshoumarou completely insane with lust, and while she was in the older demon's house, she would respect him... needless to say that the idea of getting another bucket of icy cold water on the head also motivated her actions. She had also noticed that though he was amused by her behaviour, the old breeder had looked at her with hungry eyes as well. She did not want to see another alpha display so she thoroughly washed herself. The water was so cold that her skin was now prickling, as though millions of tiny pins where attacking her skin. Once she was done with her uncomfortable bath, she wrapped herself in the towel he had given her. She heard a knock on the bathroom door, and heard: "Are you cooled down, my young miko?" Sakura smiled and answered: "Yes my friend, I only need to get dressed and I will be out in a few minutes." She saw the door slide open a few inches, and a piece of clothing was thrown in. The older demon said: "Here, I found this; it used to be my daughters', just so we can get your garb cleaned by one of the servants..."

Sakura had not thought about the fact that dressing in her clothes would completely defeat the purpose of the ice cold bath she had just taken. She spoke to the man and said: "Thank you my friend." She picked up the kimono and the obi. It consisted of a bright green inner layer and a pale pink outer layer. The outer layer had fine raspberry coloured poppies embroidered around its edges. The obi was a dark plum, and was narrower than the ones she was use to. She got dressed and went to look at herself in the mirror. The obis she had worn in the past were wide and meant to make the woman wearing them nearly shapeless, giving them the look of a fragile little childish doll. This narrow obi was meant to detail the hourglass feminine shape, narrowing the waist in the ways a corset would. It also pushed her breasts up, and made for a very deep cleavage. Her large, round hips were also broadcasted and she smiled when she remembered Sesshoumarou's comments about them.

She did not have a very typical Japanese body. She remembered being quite embarrassed about her body during her teens, but as she grew older, she had noticed that the men would eye her more than her stringy counterparts. She had worn plenty of kimonos for different events, and they had always made her feel cute and pretty. This kimono however changed her whole demeanour. It made her alive. It made her feel sexy for the first time in her life. She did not know if Sesshoumarou had been the instigator of this new attitude, but she started feeling pride in her feminine curves. She also started feeling more like a woman, and less like a priestess.

She heard a knock on the door and heard the older demon say: "Do you need help with tying the obi my lady? I can go get my mate to assist you if necessary..." Sakura answered before he could finish: "No that's fine, I am done, thank you." She let her long hair down, as it contrasted nicely with the pale pink of the kimono. The older demon entered, followed by a servant girl who picked up her clothes and took them away to have them washed. The horse breeder's expression changed when he saw the miko. His eyes had grown wide, and a small blush had crept across his face. He then said, teasingly: "Well my lady, I think that the ice cold bath might have been for naught once he sees you..."

Sakura smiled and answered: "Well, it will be your fault if it is. You chose this kimono, not me, so no more buckets of cold water." He laughed at her answer. He then said: "The pup is back from his bath. He seems to have cooled off as well. He is waiting for us for some tea." He offered his arm out and the miko took it.

She followed him to a beautifully furnished room. There were silk draperies hanging in front of the windows and stylish scrolls covered the walls. She recognized one of the scrolls as being the work of Sesson, one of Japan's most important painters. A dark ebony table was in the center of the room. Large pillows where on the floor around the low table. A pot of fuming tea was set on the table, along with three small cups.

Sesshoumarou had been eying the scroll hanging from the wall. He knew his friend was a bit of an eccentric when it came to new artists, and he was always fascinated by the new art pieces he could find in his house. He was watching a scroll depicting a hawk on a pine. He did not dislike the style, it was simply new to him. He heard them come into the room, as his back was facing the door. When he turned around, his breath caught in his throat. He was simply winded by the vision his miko had transformed into. He was simply speechless and couldn't help but stare at her, as she walked towards him. He barely registered his old friend when he said: "Now you two pups better behave..."

Sesshoumarou finally found his words as he spoke: "I have to say my old friend, you always have the most interesting pieces of art in your home. Though this time, you have surpassed yourself as this piece here is the most beautiful I have ever seen here."

Sakura smiled brightly. She did not register his comment as a compliment directed towards her and instead interpreted it as a praise directed towards the scroll. She said: "You have a very good eye for artists indeed. Very few people can spot an emerging painter before most of their art pieces are lost. Sesson is one of Japan's most famous painters. His work will be quite influential throughout the years. He was the pupil of Sesshu, and changed his name to honour his master. This particular scroll will be declared important culture history..." She paused when she noticed that the horse breeder was holding back a chuckle. She looked at him inquisitively and he said: "I believe he was talking about you, little one, not the bird on the scroll." Sakura blushed slightly, which earned her more laughter from the old demon.

Sesshoumarou smirked when he saw his little miko appreciate the compliment. One thing that he had remembered from his father's frolicking with the fairer sex was that all females appreciated compliments. He had found out very quickly that females had a keen sense when it came to false compliments, and praises needed to be heartfelt as women of all species seem to sense when a remark was made to only get into their good graces. Sesshoumarou felt that his little miko appreciated his remark, and that she could see that it wasn't something he was saying to get a good rut. He made a mental note to find some of this Sesson's work and offer her some, as she seemed to like his style. He would also try to invite the young artist to his lands so she could meet him. He found her reaction endearing and felt the need to hold her, even though it could earn him another bucket of icy cold water straight on the head. He held out his right hand, which she took shyly. She finally looked up, and when her eyes met his, his heart melted. He could only express his passion through a burning kiss, placed on the soft hand in his palm.

Sakura had seen the ardent desire burning in his eyes as he had planted a kiss on the back of her hand. The feeling of his soft lips against her skin made her entire body tingle, as it lit all of her nerve endings with an unspeakable fire, making her body pulsate. She had received many compliments over the years, and had gotten used to men fawning over her features. She had grown accustomed to the false compliments and had always found ways to brush off the ones she knew were spoken only to get her to agree to easy bedding. She had never heard a man give her a compliment in such a passionate way. Her demon lord did not need to praise her for she already knew that he desired her, and yet he had not only given her a strong compliment on her looks, he had praised her in such a way that she had thought he was referring to the invaluable scroll hanging on the walls of the beautiful room she was standing in.

Sesshoumarou saw his miko blushing in deeper shades of red and smirked internally, as he knew that his actions had had the desired effect. He heard the older demon clearing his throat, and the trio headed towards the table. Sakura served the tea elegantly, as she had learned from her mama-san that if an action was to be performed, it should be done with grace. Sesshoumarou had been to numerous tea houses and had often been served by some of Japan's most sought out geishas. He had never seen someone move with such elegance in the past. She handed them the cups and all three sipped their tea in silence.

The old breeder was never one to go for the geisha tea houses. He could however appreciate the beauty in the grace of her movements. He was quite intrigued by the creature that had entered his house. She seemed to hold a mystical power, one that allowed her to charm rogue creatures, such as the silver stallion, as well as his young lord. He spoke, careful to choose his words properly: "It is my humble opinion that you should not depart on the rout to your castle before a few days... One the lady is out of her heats; it will be safer for you to leave..." He looked at both pups sitting across from him. Sakura slowly nodded, and Sesshoumarou did not argue, which showed that he also agreed.

He slowly got to his feet and said: "It has been a busy day, and I think we could all use some rest. Dinner will be brought to your respective rooms. Please follow me." Both Sakura and Sesshoumarou rose to their feet. Sesshoumarou extended his arm, which she readily accepted. Sesshoumarou felt her lean on him, and he asked: "Are you well, my miko?"

Sakura had felt slightly dizzy when she rose to her feet, and she attributed her physical state to the past few days' events. She simply nodded and answered: "Yes, my Sesshoumarou. I have to agree with our friend, as I think some sleep will do me some good. I simply feel a little light headed." She felt Sesshoumarou press his lips to her forehead. She knew that this was a trick to verify if a child had fever, and she let him stay there. She felt moist lips withdraw from her skin as was slightly disappointed. He frowned and said: "I believe that you do not have a fever, though your body is slightly warmer than usual... Indeed, sleep will do you some good." He smiled at her warmly, and the look he held in his gaze made her wish she could drown in his amber pools.

The older demon had pressed them forwards, and they arrived to a first door. He opened it, and let Sakura in the room, showing her around. He handed her a sleeping kimono before leaving. Sakura was now extremely dizzy. She was unable to take in the beauty of the room, as she quickly stripped and wrapped herself in the light silky kimono. She slipped into the sheets and fell asleep in a deep, dreamless slumber before her head even hit the pillow.

Sesshoumarou was slightly worried about his little miko. He knew that the past few days had been difficult on her body, and he hoped that she was not pushing herself to hard. He moved forwards to another room. The dog demon opened the door and let him in before saying: "They might not be what they used to be, but these sharp ears have been trained by eight pups' sneaking around. Please give your old friend a peaceful night..." Sesshoumarou pouted at the comment, as he knew that he would not be able to join his beautiful miko during the night. The older demon smiled as her saw the younger whelp's face. He turned around, leaving a very dissatisfied demon lord alone in his room.

Little did he know that both their nights would be far from peaceful...

That's it for now folks, hope you have enjoyed!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: A new chapter off the press... hope you enjoy it. Same as last time, no lemon warning, if you are under age, you shouldn't be reading this story anyway, naughty kid ;-)

Thank you for the reviews! Will try to update as often as I can

Sakura woke a few hours after completely blacking out. She felt groggy, and her body was covered with sweat. Her thin kimono was clinging uncomfortably to her body. She got up and walked to a small night stand. There was a pitcher of water and a small basin for her to wash her face in the morning. She poured some water and splashed some of the cold water on her face and on the back of her neck. It barely cooled her down. She did not want to wake the horse breeder by walking around his house at night, but she also knew that she would not be able to sleep if she did not take another dip in the cold water of the interior spring. She did not understand her predicament, as she knew that the nights were supposed to be getting cooler and cooler. She had even noticed that the leaves had started to change color and would soon be displaying an array of ochre, amber terracotta and crimson. She had heard of a climate change in a distant country, called the Indian summer, where well after frost there would be a heat wave. She had never heard of such a phenomenon occurring here in Japan.

She opened the heavy curtains and saw that the sun had not fully set, and that the breeder should still be awake. She saw an older woman walking across the grass, carrying heavy bundles of clean linens. She knew that life on any ranch started at dawn and ended at dusk. Sakura assumed that she would not be disturbing anyone if she went to take a bath. She knew that it would be inappropriate to walk around his house in a simple sleeping kimono, so she took the time to dress herself back in the kimono he had given her before stepping out of her room. She spotted the maid that had previously picked up her miko garb and signalled to her. The young woman came close to her, surprise clearly readable in her purple eyes. The young demoness had amazing features, and Sakura couldn't help but think how beautiful demons really were. She had striking golden hair, and her sun kissed skin contrasted nicely with them. She was much taller, and stronger built than the miko, and Sakura couldn't help but think that she had the perfect constitution to be working on a ranch. When she was close enough, Sakura said, her voice slightly raspy: "I'm sorry, I'm finding it very difficult to sleep in this warmth... would it be possible to go take another bath in the interior cold spring?" The young demoness frowned, as she wondered how the miko found it warm in her room, but she had had very little contact with humans in the past, so she assumed that humans preferred sleeping in colder rooms. She bowed and answered: "It would be my pleasure to lead you to the spring my lady. Please follow me..."

Sakura followed her lead and found herself in the small room for a second time today. She thanked the female demon who had led her to the bathroom. She waited until the door was shut to undress and plunge into the freezing water. The change in temperature made Sakura's mind go blank, as it was such an extreme difference that she even forgot to breath. She breathed in small gasps as her body was completely shocked by the cold of the water. Her mind traveled to her cooking experience, when she would flash boil beans and then dunk them in an ice bath. She now felt somehow sorry for all the veggies that she had shocked, as she knew now what the greens must have felt. The thought made her chuckle lightly, as she had just compared her recent actions to a cooking technique. Her mind drifted to the era she found herself in.

She knew that Gutenberg's press had only been invented for a few years, and manuscripts were still being carefully hand copied, by monks, priests and scripts. Even if she could get her hands on the first available prints, she doubted that she wanted to re-read the bible. She had read many religious manuscripts as part of her theological studies, and though she had found the evolution of each religion fascinating, she had been quite turned off by the wars that men had fought in the name of their Gods. She was a miko after all, a protector of life, and the thought of killing innocents in the name of a concept repulsed her.

Sakura was a talented musician, and though the renaissance was not her favourite era, she knew a few pieces from Jean Mouton and William Byrd that would get any court dancing. She knew that most of the instruments she cherished had not been invented, or were at their early beginnings. The primitive Viol was her beloved cello's predecessor. The complex harmonies and subtleties of the piano would not be heard for another two centuries, as the harpsichord currently dominated court rooms. Sakura was able to play most instruments, and she felt a stab of pain in the chest at the thought that she would not be able to hold one of them again. She would most likely be able to build some, as she had been pupil to some of the great instrument makers present in Japan, but never again would she feel the ardent passion of playing one of Rachmaninoff's concertos, the orchestra playing behind her as passionately, the maestro following her every lead. Could she even craft a cello as perfect as the one she had held between her legs in modern days, while the bow danced on the strings, singing bach's cello suite n.1...

She could still remember how her body vibrated with her cello. Her mind refused to let go of the memory, of how she would infuse her own aura, her own soul into every note, as the bow would slide on each string, and how her fingers would get raw from the pinching of the strings. She would see the air of pure bliss on the faces of those she would play for, and how that would feed her.

Sakura had moved to the side of the bath and had now rested her head on her arms, reminiscing her glorious concerts. She knew the basics of most instruments, and could pick up most of them in a few hours. She had however chosen a few favourites from each section, and had become known as quite an expert on each one. She had first learned the piano, as it offered the widest repertoire. She never liked the harpsichord, as it lacked in the nuances the piano offered. The piano had always reminded her of winter, as it was an extremely precise instrument, almost as precise as a surgeons' knife, yet able to unleash an unpredictable storm of emotions when handled properly. She had quickly outgrown the instrument, and had turned to percussion, and had found an affinity with the xylophone. The playful nature of the instrument always made her feel light and alive, just as spring had. The instrument was truly innocent in nature. She had then moved to the winds, and those were categorised into two sections, the woods and Brasses. She had chosen the transverse flute, as it fitted the best with her warm, summery nature. It brought out her soft undertones, the ones she forgot so often. It allowed her to display her feminine nature, as well as her sultry side. She liked the classical French horn from the brasses, as it was rich and warm, and resonated with all her fall.

The instrument she preferred above all was her cello. The warm, luscious melody it produced called to her soul. Somehow, its warmth had always reminded her of fall, its precise sound and cleanliness of its staccatos spoke to her wintery nature, the playfulness of the bow dancing on the strings made her feel the innocence of spring, and its husky undertones lit her body up as a warm summer day would. It appealed to her entire nature. She somehow understood now how Sesshoumarou had told her that she carried the scent of the four seasons on her. She smiled thinking about her demon lord.

Sakura suddenly noticed that while she was lost in her thoughts, the water around her had grown slightly warmer and was no longer stinging her skin. It had now become lukewarm. She wondered for a moment if it had been her body that had adjusted itself to the cold water or if the water had really gotten warmer. She stepped out of the bath and dressed, her body slightly cooler and more comfortable. She opened the door and noticed that the young demoness had been waiting for her. They both walked back to her room, as the young servant had been ordered by her master that the miko was to be chaperoned at all times when she would be out of her room.

Sakura walked into her room and felt the heat of the air pressing down on her once again. She pulled out a fresh sleeping kimono from the large dresser and removed the multiple layers of fabric of the beautiful borrowed kimono. She noticed that she was already breaking a sweat, and that her cool bath had helped only temporarily. She decided to open the large windows to allow some of the cool air in. She opened moved aside the heavy crimson velvet that prevented the moonlight from entering the room. She pulled the enormous, twenty foot window open, and felt the wind dance on her face. She felt little relief, as the air that hit her face was warm. She proceeded to the following windows and opened them all, as she felt that some wind was better than no air circulation. She suddenly noticed that even though her body was boiling hot, and so was the ambient air around her, her breath created white condensation, as though hitting cold air. She was truly puzzled, as she felt that she was on fire, and yet if the air was as cold as she thought it was, it should be bringing her some relief.

The miko knew that something was wrong with her. She decided to lie on the cold marble floor. She felt the coolness of it on her stomach for only a few seconds, as it seemed that her body was so warm that it instantly hearted it up. She grew worried when she noticed that the tiny droplets of sweat covering her arms were evaporating off her body, creating a small mist around her.

Sakura wanted to get up to get help, but her body felt suddenly to heavy, as if she had suddenly been crushed under two thousand pounds of lead. She let out a small whimper, as she felt that her life was in jeopardy, and that time was of the essence. She tried calling out, but her voice stayed strangled in her throat. She felt tears of frustration swelling in her eyes. She shut her eyes, as she knew that panic was the enemy of the mind and would cloud her judgement. She forced herself to calm down.

Her thoughts drifted to the demon lord sleeping in the room next to her. He should be able to hear her through the walls, a plan formed in her head. She knew she would not be able to remain conscious for very long, and she called out to the demon locked inside her _'We need our Sesshoumarou, don't we?' _She was rewarded with a prompt answer _**'Yes, we need him quickly, or we will not survive the night...'**_Sakura frowned before she asked _'You know what is happening to me, don't you?'_ She got no answer to her question, and she started worrying. She wondered what the demon was hiding, but knew that Sesshoumarou would be able to answer her question.

Sesshoumarou had finally found sleep, alone in his bed. He longed for his little miko's presence, but he understood that they needed to be separated for the moment. Something woke him from his peaceful slumber. He felt that something was wrong, and that his miko was in danger. He did not know what had pulled him out of his sleep, but he knew that he would not be able to drift back if he did not confirm that his miko was fine. He rose from his bed and walked to the door. He knew that the horse breeder would most likely be awakened by his movements, but he did not care. He wanted to calm his instincts and ensure his Sakura's safety. He opened the door and simply listened intently to the sounds of the house. He could hear his friend and his mates sleeping noises, as well as the many maids and house servants sleeping for the night. One particular noise caught his attention, and irregular and ragged breathing, the strongest noise as it was the closest. He knew that his miko was in distress, and he had to find out why. The moment he stepped outside his room, he felt his friend standing next to him, and heard him say: "Going out for a leisurely stroll, pup?"

The horse breeder cursed under his breath when he had heard the pup open his door, as he knew that a long night was before him. He had stood next to him when he had stepped out, and had seen the distress in his golden eyes as he spoke: "My miko, her breathing is erratic... I need to verify that she is safe..." The horse breeder's eyes soften as he said: "Very well my friend, my mate and I will go and check on her, while you wait in your room. I will come and confirm that she is fine after we have done so." The horse breeder waited until the unhappy pup returned to his room, and went to wake his mate. She was not pleased with being woken in the middle of the night, but they both knew that the important guests that were in their houses needed them. They both went to the young miko's room and knocked softly on the door. They heard a hoarse voice saying: "enter"

Both demons were dumbfounded by the scene they found in the room. The windows were wide open, letting the cold air in. The bed was empty, and the young miko was lying on the cold marble floor, her breathing ragged and irregular. She was covered in sweat, and her dark hair was now plastered to her face. The light sleeping kimono was drenched and clung to her like a second skin. She was surrounded by a hew of steam, as the water seemed to evaporate off her warm body.

The female demon snapped out of her stupor and rushed to the small miko. She turned her on her back. Her eyes were hazy but she was still lucid. She placed her hand on her forehead. He body was burning to the touch, and the demoness found it almost uncomfortable to leave her hand there. The miko looked at her with pleading eyes, as she said: "What is happening to me? Please, help me..." The older female looked down at the small human and she started having doubts.

She had seen a demoness burst into flames, consumed by her own heats, as her father had denied her rutting as punishment for disobeying him. She also knew that some females came close to dying during their heats if their mates were not present. She had never heard of a similar phenomenon with humans. The girl was obviously an adult, and though still innocent, she must have had gone through the feminine cycles many times. However, she seemed as shocked by what was happening as they were. She sighed as she rose to her feet to meet her mate who was still standing by the door. Once she got close to him, she said in a low voice: "We need to let them rut, if not she will die. She is going through full demon heat, and her body will not be able to withstand the burn. She will not survive if we do not let Sesshoumarou in." She saw that her mate was having a serious internal struggle as he watched the small miko on the floor.

The older demon watched the small miko on the floor, and recognized that his mate was right. If Sesshoumarou did not take her now, she would die. The process destroying her small body could only be stopped by the male's seed, and she would not survive without it. He walked out the door, followed by his mate. He went to the demon lord's room and knocked before entering. He could see that the whelp had been pacing, waiting for him to come with news of the young miko. Sesshoumarou paused and looked at him, his eyes burning with his unspoken question. The old demon lord spoke: "We believe that though she is human, she is currently experiencing full demon heats. Her body is flaring up to dangerous temperatures. The two of you need to rut..." He pause as the demon lord was now rushing towards the door. The older demon placed a hand on his shoulder and said: "Pup, try not to mate her yet, so you may respect proper procedures. You will only make it easier for both of you. Also, remember to be gentle with her, it is her first time, do your best to make it a pleasurable experience for her..."

Sesshoumarou sent him a distressed look as he thought about his miko, suffering in the room next to his, and how he could bring relief to her. His friend was only giving him words of wisdom, but he was delaying him. His miko needed him, and he wanted to go to her. His old friend moved aside and let him pass through. He swiftly opened the door to her room, and noticed that the air was extremely cold. He saw her lying on the floor, and he felt a strong pinch in his chest, as he watched his miko. He reached her in the blink of an eye and nuzzled his nose in the crook of her neck. He felt her arms coil around his neck, and heard her raspy voice say: "My Sesshoumarou, you are not supposed to be here... we'll only get another bucket of cold water on the head..." Sesshoumarou would have normally chuckled, was it not for the gravity of the current situation. He lifted her bridal style in his strong arms and brought her to the large bed. Once he laid her on the soft mattress, he climbed on the large futon, and hovered above her, on all fours, before planting a soft, demanding kiss on her sweet lips.

Sesshoumarou was surprised at how warm her body was, and wondered how long had she been in such a predicament. He felt a stab of guilt hit his chest, as he felt that he should have woken earlier. Nevertheless, he needed to take care of her now, and so he would do. She broke the kiss and said: "My Sesshoumarou, what is happening to me?" He looked into her beautiful turquoise eyes before answering: "My Sakura, your body is being consumed by the flames of your first heats. It is a dangerous time for a female, as only the seed of a demon may stop it. I will do my best to keep from marking you as my mate, but the rutting is necessary for you to survive. I cannot lose you, my miko. If I must risk breaking my promise to save your life, then so be it. I can only hope that you will find it in you to forgive me..."

Sakura's mind was slightly clouded, but she understood the dire urgency of the current situation. She felt that her demon lord needed more time to grow in love with her, but if she died from something as silly as her ovulation, she would never get a chance to see the demon lord love her. She knew that the seeds of love were already planted within her, and they would one day blossom... She only had doubts about her demon lover. She could only hope that his lust and interest for her would grow into something else. She did not like the tone his monologue had taken, and she wanted his lips back on hers. She interrupted him mid-sentence and suckled on his lower lip, so he would allow her passage into his mouth. She was rewarded with his tongue dancing around hers. She let her hands move to his chest, removing his sleeping kimono and exposing his perfect marble skin. She let her fingers dance across his firm muscles, brushing his perked nipples as she did so.

Sesshoumarou wanted to take his time in pleasing his miko and honouring her body the way it should be. He felt that his miko had other plans in mind. He let her run her hands over his taught muscles all she wanted, and when she got to the strings attaching his pants, she grunted in frustration. Sesshoumarou had used special knots as a safe guard against her ministrations. He wanted her to enjoy losing her innocence, and he would not let mindless desire take that away from her. He moved his mouth from hers, being mindful to stay away from the crook of her neck. He let his mouth trail down her neck to her chest, as he found his mouth now between her breasts, and in a dilemma between left and right. He chose to go right, as he remembered that her right nipple seemed more sensitive and had earned him stronger moans. He wanted to kiss and suckle on her left breast before he tended to the right one, as he wanted her body to rise in pleasure. He licked the rosy nipple, tasting her fully, as the sweat that pearled on her body now held her own essence. He found it quite erotic, as he tasted what he could smell.

He could taste her spicy arousal, now mixed with her seasons. He could taste the burning cinnamon, lining her winter, the sweet anis accompanying her spring, the cool fennel riding with summer and the warm nutmeg surrounding her autumn. The spice mix danced on his tongue like no other had before. He felt his body shudder, as the different tastes seem to light different parts of his body. His miko was perfect in so many ways. Though it was torture to him, as he wanted to take her promptly, he wanted her to know how special she was. He would control himself so that her burning body was fully aroused by his ministrations before he would find his own pleasure. He wanted this night to be hers. After her nipple was thoroughly covered with his saliva and now slightly irritated from his suckling, he moved left to her right mound, staring hungrily at the second nipple.

Tough he knew that she had never been pupped, and therefore never produced any nurturing milk, he felt a deep need to suckle on her large mound. He placed his lips on her perked nipple and started suckling hungrily. He was rewarded with his miko moaning loudly and pressing his head to her breast as he did so. He went on sucking on her tender skin until he felt it slightly raw and moved down to her navel. He remembered how she had licked him in such delicious torture, and he wanted to do the same to her. He started by licking her upper abdomens, and went down to her sides. He heard her giggle as he did so, and knew that like most females, she was ticklish in that area. He continued his light licking for what seemed like hours. He continued as he could not get enough of her taste, he only paused when he felt her start to wriggle under him, as she wanted more than what he was giving her.

Sakura's mind was completely lost. From the moment that she had understood what was happening to her own body, she had know that the current actions were necessary. She had longed for her demon lord's touch, and she could finally feel him against her, which was all that she desired. She knew that she was paying for the playful torture she had given him. She heard him chuckle as she wriggled under him. She knew that two could play that game, and she slithered her foot toward his groin and started rubbing it lightly on his erected manhood. She heard a deep lustful growl escape his mouth, and it made her entire pelvis vibrate.

He continued moving lower to her burning folds. Her arousals' spiciness was the strongest there, and he enjoyed the cocktail it offered thoroughly. He looked at her bare womanhood and made a mental note to ask the following day if all human females were devoid of pubic hair. He started licking at her folds, lapping the precious liquid. He tasted the full extent of her heats and suddenly registered her foot rubbing his aroused member. He growled as the feeling was sending signals throughout his body, urging him to move faster. He flipped both her legs over his shoulders and positioned his head back at her warm entrance. He heard her grunt in frustration and couldn't hold the chuckle that escaped his lips.

Sakura wanted to continue rubbing him, as she knew that she would get what she desired faster. Still, his actions brought such sensations to her body that she found that it was only a minor frustration compared to the powerful heat that was building inside her core. She hoped that the longer the build-up, the greater the release. She felt him licking her slit, running his smooth tongue up and down. Her body lit up faster than it had last time. She was already close to her climax, and she could not stop the loud moan that escaped her lips.

Sesshoumarou could feel that she was close to her release, and though he had never taken a woman's innocence, as he preferred more experienced women, he followed his instincts that told him it would be less painful if he brought her release before entering her. He flicked his tongue on her pleasure bud, and heard her breathing become faster. Loud moans were escaping her mouth, and her blunt nails were now clenched on his scalp. He felt her hips buck slightly, and knew that she was close to going over the edge. He slipped two fingers inside her and pumped in her tight core until he felt the walls tighten around them. He felt pride swelling in his chest, as he had made her climax so quickly. He let her ride the final waves of her orgasm before sliding his wet fingers out of her. He thoroughly licked them and proceeded to removing his pants.

He found that he was fumbling with his own special knots and simply cut the strings holding them in place with a flick of his claws. They slid off him, allowing his painfully erected member to spring free. He then slid his miko's legs of his shoulders, and moved up the bed so that he was well positioned between her legs. Her lust filed eyes nearly made him lose all control. He kissed her and closed his eyes to regain his focus. He had to be careful not to harm her as he would not forgive himself if he simply pounded her mindlessly. He allowed her to relax, as he felt her somewhat apprehensive. He knew that he was large, and many females he had rutted with had told him that they never had had such a large male inside them and that it had been quite painful. He needed to be gentle with her, as he knew that past scars already made it difficult for her to be intimate with him, it would be even more difficult to gain her trust if he created an unpleasant memory for her. He broke the kiss and whispered in her ear: "Please know that I am greatly sorry for any pain that I am about to give you, my miko"

Sakura could feel the apprehension in his tone. She knew that first times often ranged from uncomfortable to painful, and that she had to go through it for intercourse to become much more pleasant. She also knew that Sesshoumarou had made her relaxed by having her climax once, and that it would be far less painful since he had done so. She was also grateful that years of rough training and tampons had most likely obliterated her hymen. She kissed him passionately, giving him the strength he needed to continue with his task. She swayed her hips lightly to press him forwards, and he understood the unspoken message. Keeping his lips locked with her, he slid slowly in her hot folds. She was incredibly tight around him, and he had to concentrate hard on his little miko not to enter her with one quick thrust. Sakura felt him entering her at a maddening slow paste. It was sweet torture to her, as contrary to what she thought she would feel, no pain came from his action. Quite the opposite, the rubbing of his soft skin on her walls was building a new climax. She felt his body nearing hers as he entered her. He stopped about three-quarters of the way in, and seemed to hesitate before pushing in his entire length.

Sesshoumarou was astonished at how deep she was. Never had he been able to push his member fully within a female before, and had made a mental note of where most females would cry out in pain and had stopped at that mental barrier. As he had sensed none of the usual resistance he had felt when penetrating others, he had pushed on and had, for the first time, felt himself completely encased in the warm core of a female, bonus being that this female was his intended. She was truly god sent, and they had been made for one another. He also sensed no pain signals coming from the small miko beneath him. She was still completely relaxed in his arms. He did a tentative thrust, keeping it slow, and was rewarded with his miko moaning loudly in his mouth.

Sakura had never felt so content. She felt the foreign organ within her, and felt as if it was right where it belonged. When her demon had slowly thrust his large member within her, jolts of pleasure irradiated through her body, emanating from her cervix and moving outwards. Pleasure waves were starting to roll on her body, making her head spin. Sesshoumarou started pumping in and out of her, still being careful not to hurt her. She felt her body raise to a new climax, as her mind went completely blank, her body pulsating violently. Just as last time, each orgasm he had given her was more powerful than the previous, and she felt her insides coil around the demon's hard shaft. She heard his muffled moan as her tightness grew around him. He had stopped moving to let her enjoy the waves of pleasure that were ravishing her body.

Sesshoumarou knew that if he died in his sleep, he would die a happy man, as he was currently experiencing perfect bliss. Not only had he given his miko no pain whatsoever, he was bringing her along for a lustful ride of pleasure. He had nearly found his own climax through hers, as she had grown quite tight and the pulsating walls closing in on his manhood had sent jolts of pleasure down his spine. He let her finish her release, and started his thrusting motions once more, this time accelerating the tempo. She was now moaning loudly, and he looked onto her beautiful face, as the sweat of lust plastered her ebony hair to her pale skin. He slid one of his and under her, as he felt her back arch slightly and looked at her and said: "Do you want more, my Sakura?" Her eyes opened and met his, as she said in a husky voice: "Yes, my Sesshoumarou..." The demon lord could not understand how, but he felt even more aroused as she had said so, as her voice was sultry and deep. He pumped a little faster, still being mindful that he could hurt her. His doubts washed away instantly when he heard her whisper: "Faster, my Sesshoumarou..."

Sesshoumarou was more than happy to comply. He picked up his paste and was rewarded with louder moans of pleasure. She seemed to have lost all self control as she started to cry out in pleasure. Sesshoumarou drank those moans as he knew that he was the instigator of her pleasure. She was crying out for him, and never before had she felt this way. He was filled with pride as he knew that he was the only one who had ever heard them leave her beautiful lips before, and if he could help it, never would another male ever hear her sing such a melody. He kissed her neck, dangerously close to where a mating mark should be, and reminded himself that he had to wait. He kissed her lips, devouring her sweet sounds. He only broke the contact to allow her to breath, as she was now panting heavily, matching his own breathing rhythm. He nearly found his release when she said in a raspy voice: "Harder, please my Sesshoumarou..."

Sakura could feel the demon lord's hesitation, and she knew that he was still restraining himself from fear of causing her pain. She looked him in the eyes and spoke, out of breath: "I'll... tell... you... if it's... uncomfortable..." That was all the promise he needed to let loose. He started pounding her faster and harder than he had any other female, as he did not have to show any form of restraint. He felt her body arch further allowing him even deeper access. She was now crying out his name in small gasps, and he felt that she was close to her climax. He let himself ride his unbridled lush filled passion and thrust his member as hard and as quickly as he could. He felt that her hips were now matching his in his movements, and felt the walls of her core squeezing tightly around him. He knew that if he did not occupy his mouth he would mark her as they both reach their peak, so her devoured her mouth. He felt her body rising in his arms and knew that he was seconds away from heavenly bliss. He felt her understand how important it was to keep both their lips locked, as she firmly grabbed his head with both her hands.

Sakura had understood her demon quite well and knew that he would do all in his power to respect his promise. She would assist him, and though she would much rather be screaming out his name, it was for the best that she kept his mouth busy. She felt him growing even bigger as he was so close to his own release. She felt her own body surrender to the building climax. She nearly passed away as the orgasm she felt was so strong, it was nearly painful.

Sesshoumarou felt her walls tighten and thrust one last in her before spilling his hot seed inside her. He tried to fight against her small hands to move to her neck and claim her properly, but her strong grip stopped him and he continued suckling on her mouth instead. He rode his pleasure waves, as he felt her walls trembling around him. He had collapsed on her and was afraid that he might be too heavy for her and had started to move away, but she held him there.

Sakura wanted to feel him on her for a few more instants. She did not want him off her yet. He broke the kiss and looked into her lust filled eyes and said: "Am I not too heavy for you, my Sakura?" She chuckled lightly and said: "My Sesshoumarou, you are less heavy than half the weight of the monster Ochaida that I yield with one arm. Do you really believe that I find you heavy?" He looked into her playful eyes and then kissed her once more, before resting his head on her shoulder, careful to keep his mind away from the crook of her neck.

He knew that he would mate her one day, but his instincts now told him that it was not the right time. He had not felt the mating knot inside her, that would ensure conception as it would have kept his seed within her fertile womb. He thought that perhaps it was his beast's way of telling him that this was not the right time. He felt a slight sorrow, as he knew that demon heats came only once every other year. He would have loved to see his miko growing round with his pups. He felt her hands, gently caressing his hair and his back. He then reconsidered, as he knew that pupped females were less inclined to accept rutting. He figured it would give him more time to play with his little female. He felt sleep slowly gripping him, as he was now thoroughly exhausted. He felt that her body had now cooled down to a normal temperature and that she was now out of harm's way.

Sakura had started to feel tired, as the whole ordeal had drained most of her resources. She felt that sleep was starting to claim her body. She felt Sesshoumarou withdraw himself from her, and had a strange feeling gripping her. She felt somewhat empty. She suddenly felt the cold air on her skin, making her shiver.

Sesshoumarou kissed her lightly before going to tend to the windows, closing them shut. He returned to the bed and covered her, before slipping next and lying on his side. He pulled her to his chest, resting her head on one of his firm biceps, letting her nuzzle her face in his chest. He wrapped his tail around her, as he knew that she liked the feeling of its soft fur on her skin. He bent one of his knees so he could slither his leg between hers, as he knew it would not only allow him to feel her warm womanhood pressed on him, it would also make her sleeping position more comfortable. He mimicked her movements as she had coiled her arms around him, he did the same. He kissed her forehead, and waited to hear her steady breathing before letting himself succumbing to sleep.

Sesshoumarou had been wrong when thinking that no other males had heard her moans and cries of pleasure, as the entire household had heard them throughout the night. Most of the mated pairs had themselves engaged in rutting, as they were all quite turned on by the small miko's moans of pleasure. The old horse breeder had to admit that he had not felt that aroused in years, nor could he remember a female crying out with such passion and pleasure. He had never heard of humans be so demonstrative, and he knew that somehow, it had affected every demon in the house. Tomorrow would be a day of light work, as he knew that none had gotten a full night of peaceful sleep.

One thing he was glad for was that the pup had been good to her and it had been clear that he had brought her pleasure. He had also not felt the usual mix of auras associated with mating, so he assumed that he had controlled himself. Overall, the older demon was quite proud of the whelp. He would have to verify whether his suspicion about the mating was correct, as a newly mated dog demon could be quite aggressive towards potential threats to his mate. Knowing Sesshoumarou the way he did, he also knew that he would be his bitch's alpha, and would rut with her many times over the following few days to assert dominancy. These could be dangerous times for his household, as none would be able to approach the couple. He would have to ponder on how to find out if they had indeed become a mated pair.

Sakura woke as the sun shone brightly in her room, despite the blinds being completely shut. _'Sneaky bastard...' _She thought _'Still finds ways to wake me up even though thick blinds cover the windows...'_ Her body felt slightly sore from all of last night's events. She knew that the feverish heat that had overtaken her body had thoroughly drained her energy, and she was now recuperating. She felt warm and protected, as her body was entangled with that of Sesshoumarou's. She felt his soft fluffy tail tickling her back, his arms tightly wrapped around her, as well as her legs sandwiching his. Her face was completely nuzzled in his taught chest, and for a moment she wanted time to stop and to live this instant for the rest of eternity. She felt his chest rumble in a menacing growl as someone knocked on their door. The door opened a few inches to reveal worried eyes. Sakura looked up and saw that a child was walking in with a tray of food. The small girl had to be around ten or eleven and wore a bright yellow kimono which contrasted beautifully with her sun kissed skin and dark hair. She seemed to shiver as the demon lord let out another loud growl. She quickly laid the platter of fruits and eggs on the table and walked out.

Sesshoumarou had not awakened. He had simply reacted out of instinct. To him, it was a done deal; the female in his arms was his, and he would allow no one to approach her. Though his conscious mind could understand the need for protocol and etiquette, his instincts identified the miko as his mate, and he would ardently protect her. When he had heard the noise he had growled as a warning, as he did not want anyone to disturb them on their mating bed. He nuzzled his nose closer to her head in his sleep, burying it in her hair.

Sakura had been slightly amused at the protective display her demon had just given. She had however monitored his movements closely, as she did not want the small girl to get harmed. She had relaxed when she had felt his nose moving closer to her scalp, and had sensed his ease. She allowed herself to settle back down and fall into peaceful slumber, as she was not ready to get up just yet. She was still tired from her ordeals, and had not had a proper night of sleep in a comfortable bed in the past few days, so it was her intentions to fully enjoy her time in her demon's arms.

Sesshoumarou stirred in his sleep. He hadn't dreamed in years, and did not recognize the familiar feeling. Would he have, he never would have allowed the dream to continue.

He recognized the small beach that was close to his castle. He had enjoyed strolling on it being a pup, with both his mother and father. He was now walking on it, feeling the sand between his toes. He knew that it was his time to be there with his own mate and pup. He saw her lying far away on the sand, the waves reaching her toes. She did not reach and he knew that she was peacefully sleeping. He saw that her arms were wrapped around a small bundle, lovingly. He was far from them and couldn't help the eagerness building within him as he was getting closer. She was wearing a kimono he had never seen on her. It was a light pink and was covered with large crimson poppies. He had been kept at the castle for official matters and she had gone first without him as his pup was quite eager to go. His first born was quite energetic, and reminded him of his younger sibling at the same age. Her beautiful eyes were closed, and most of her face was hidden by a veil of dark hair.

Sesshoumarou sped up his paste, as worry grew within his chest. He knew that she was not able to sleep with her hair in her face. The slight strand that would go astray would wake her, and his mind started to worry as he saw her in such a deep slumber. As he got closer to her, he saw that the crimson poppies were no flowers. They were large patches of drying blood, pooling out on her pink kimono. He recognized the kimono as one of his favourites, one she had personally handpicked for their official mating ceremony. He saw that the small bundle in her arms had clenched his tiny hands on his mother's kimono, as she had tried to shield him with her own body. He stopped a few inches from them, and fell to his knees. His mind could not properly analyse the image before him. He started by running a clawed finger on her cheek, pushing the strands of hair away from her beautiful features.

He had thought that she had been peacefully sleeping, but he now saw that her face was crisped in pain, forever frozen in the expression that had marked her last moments. Sesshoumarou saw that tears had streaked her face, and had fallen on his firstborn's head. He was afraid to touch her, that if he did, he would be acknowledging the terrible reality that had taken place. He felt tears burning his eyes, as for the first time in his very long life, could he feel the pains of grief. His mate had died in pain, protecting their son, while he was not there. His family was now lost to him, and with this realization, the tears started pouring freely down his face. His stony features were now distorted with pain, as he picked up the limp body of his little miko and cradled her and his son on his lap. He nuzzled his nose in the crook of her neck, where his mating mark was, trying to fill his nostrils with her soothing scent. He let out a powerful wail when he realized that as death had claimed her, it had jealously robbed her body of her scent as well.

Sesshoumarou was rocking them, as he had known that she had liked to movement, and that it had soothed their pup. He was trying to numb his own pain. Never would he feel her arms around him, nor the warmth of her breath on his skin, nor would she ever sooth him with her deep rumble. He felt as though his heart was now in a vice, and that someone powerful was crushing it maliciously. Never had he told her how much he loved her, and he would now have to live to the reality of unproclaimed love. He heard someone calling his name, a familiar voice, a voice he wanted to follow. The voice came with a soothing scent, one he craved for. If his beloved mate had come to lead him to the underworld with her, he would follow willingly, as he saw no point in staying behind. His new little family was now his sole reason for living, and without them, he would have no further reason to move on.

Sakura had woken in a start when a loud howl of pain had rippled through her ears painfully. The grip around her had become tighter, and she could see Sesshoumarou sobbing in her shoulder in his sleep. He must have been dreaming, and whatever his dream was, she knew she had to pull him out of it. She managed to break free for his powerful embrace and started shaking his shoulders while calling out his name. He seemed to be responsive to her actions, and she saw him slowly emerge from slumber. When he opened his puffy eyes and looked into hers, she could first see grief mixed with panic, and then came relief. He sat up quickly and wrapped his arms around her once again, before pressing his head to her chest.

Sesshoumarou had followed the voice, and had been rewarded when he opened his eyes to turquoise pools, staring back at him in concern. Her scent was vibrant and still present, her body warm with life. He couldn't help but press his head to her chest to hear her heart beating. Her body responded to his anguish and let out a deep soothing rumble. He felt his muscles relax slightly, before he realized that he had just had a dream. He could say that him mind had thought of the worst possible nightmare his life could turn into. He remembered that his father had told him that he had had similar dreams after he had mated his mother and his younger half-brother's mother, and it was likely a side effect to the mating. Though he had not yet mated her, he knew that he would, and that, sooner than later. He heard her speak and it took a while for him to register her words: "Are you well, my Sesshoumarou? What did you dream of to get you so upset?"

Sakura felt Sesshoumarou tense in her arms. She wanted to find out what painful images he had seen for him to react in such a way. He then said: "It was a terrible dream, my Sakura. You had gone to a small beach near my castle with our first born, and I came to meet you there, the two of you had been attacked..." Sakura heard his voice crack, and she held on tighter. She only hoped that the rumbling in her chest would not stop, as she did not fully control this new function her body offered. She felt a pain in her chest, as she could only imagine what he had felt. She knew that he care about her, and he longed for her to be with child. To see them both dead was a quite a cruel joke that his unconscious mind had played on him. He continued his voice slightly strained: "I wanted to die on the spot to join you two in the afterlife. I had such a powerful regret, how could I go on..." Sakura then asked: "Pray tell, my Sesshoumarou, what was it that you regretted?" She heard him sigh deeply and in a murmur said: "I had never told you that I loved you..." Sakura felt her arm tighten around him, as she nuzzled her head in his neck, and started licking at the juncture of his neck and shoulder, as she knew that it brought him comfort.

She took a deep breath, before speaking: "You know, my Sesshoumarou, once we are mated, our bound will most likely become stronger... If you love me, I will know, without you having to tell me, just as you will know that I love you, without having the need for me to tell you... I don't want to be your regret... I am only human, and my lifespan will be shorter than yours, you will have to face life without me eventually..."

Sesshoumarou had to concentrate to steady his breath as she spoke. He knew that she would be able to read him as an open scroll once they mated. He just could not imagine his life without his mate as he spoke: "You are mistaken, my Sakura... Your lifespan will be as long as mine once we are mated. And if you are what I think you are, you are not only a human..." He felt her nimble at his neck, as she wanted him to be soothed. He had to admit that her actions were bringing him some form of peace. He had seen her on the beach, covered in her own blood and that of their pup, lifeless, odourless and limp, as opposed to now as he felt her warm breath on his neck, smelt her body and her own unique scent, still laced with the previous night's arousal, felt her warmth. He started licking at her neck, and he tasted her own worries. He then noticed that her scent was tainted with stress, as she fawned over him. He let his own chest erupt in a deep soothing rumble, and he felt her go limp in his arms. He lay back on the bed in the exact same position that they had been so peacefully sleeping in before his nightmare had woken the two of them.

He watched her succumb to slumber and silently vowed to himself never to let his dream become reality. He would protect his mate and his pups, and he would tell her that he loved her every day until his life ended. He knew that the feelings were already blossoming within him, and he somehow knew that she was his soul mate. He only had to make her fall in love him before they could be mated.

Sesshoumarou was surprised, as he remembered how she had told him that the hard part of the curse's condition would be for him to open up to someone and trust that person completely. He had found it incredibly easy to do so with his little miko. He saw that on the other hand, winning her love and trust would be the hard part. He was up to the challenge, as he did want her to stay his. Though still groggy with sleep, he had noticed a change in her speech pattern; she had said 'when we mate' and not 'if we mate'. This encouraged Sesshoumarou in his endeavour. He kissed her forehead tenderly and whispered: "I love you, my Sakura..."

That's it for today folks! Hope you have enjoyed


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I update as soon as I humanly can... please review if you like

Ah! and lemon and gore warnings for his one (though not together...)

Sakura woke to find her limbs entwined with those of the demon lord in her bed. She recalled last night's events, and was quite surprised that he had found it in him not to mate her. She felt a small pinch in her chest. She felt that if he could just forgo the mating on their first time together, he would most likely grow tired of her once he had had her to his heart's content. Nevertheless, she was bound to him for now, and would have to live with the disappointments once they came. She would however enjoy every moment she would get with him. She had to try not to get too attached to him, as she had seen many heartbroken women around her. She knew that the higher the rise, the greater the fall. She would do her best not to let herself fall head over heels for him, though she knew her battle was lost from the start.

Sesshoumarou had felt her stir in his arms. He knew that they had slept well into the day and would most likely be only departing the following morning. He did not mind, as it would give him time to worship the small goddess lying in his arms. He felt something that pulled his heart strings, as he knew that something had upset her. He felt her uncertainty mixed with a deep sorrow. He started to feel doubt grow, as he wondered if she regretted what had happened the previous night. He nuzzled his face into her neck, and somehow felt her sorrow grow. He let out a small whine and said: "Did you not enjoy your first time, my Sakura?" He felt her surprise as she said: "On the contrary, it was wonderful, words cannot express how great you have made me feel, my Sesshoumarou."

Sakura wondered where his question came from as she frowned and asked, her throat so tight that she was afraid her voice would stay caught in it: "If I my ask... did you not enjoy..." Before she could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by lips crashing on hers. As he released her mouth, he said: "Your Sesshoumarou has never felt the way he has last night in the presence of any other female. You have made me experience a moment of pure bliss, one which I had never felt before." He looked into her turquoise eyes, and as she stared back at ardently burning amber pools, he continued: "My Sakura, do you regret the intimacy we have shared last night?"

Sesshoumarou was almost afraid to ask. He knew that she carried a heavy past, and perhaps it had been too soon to take her. He now felt guilt grow into anguish, as he could not have let her in her predicament. He saw her eyes meet his as she said in a warm voice: "My Sesshoumarou, how could I ever regret what happened last night?" Her warm eyes were now clouded with worry as she spoke again: "Do you regret?..." She was once again interrupted mid-sentence by a burning kiss. He lingered longer, as if to prove a point. His breath was getting faster when he reluctantly moved away from her mouth and said: "Do not ever think that your Sesshoumarou would regret moments spent with you, my Sakura... The only regret I might have is not having completely lost my mind and mating you... I have given you my word, and as long as I am strong enough I will keep it. However, I hope that you fall in love with me faster than the two winter's mark, as I may well weaken to the point where I will mate you without your consent, and that would be truly mortifying to your Sesshoumarou... "

He saw her frown as she said: "Yes I do understand our promise, and I will hold no grudge if an accident happens... but what of your soul mate, my Sesshoumarou? We need to find her for you to be freed from the curse... you need to..." This time, she interrupted herself, as she knew that she was losing whatever little self control she had. She felt tired and emotional, and on top of it she now had to convince the man lying across her that it was better for him to fall in love with another and leave her behind. That was too much for her to do at the current time, and she would rather stay quiet than continue.

Sesshoumarou finally understood the source of her stress and sorrow. If she felt half the emotions that he did, thinking about him finding another mate would be crushing her soul terribly. He felt his chest clench painfully at the thought of having to mate another and pressed his lips on hers to comfort himself. He needed her warmth and he pressed her body closer to his. He let out his low, soothing rumble, and felt the tensions lessen in her small frame. He deepened the kiss and wanted the contact of their lips never to end. He knew that he needed to give his miko words of comfort, as she was truly distressed at the current time. He then said in a soothing voice: "What if, my miko, you were my soul mate? Would it not work itself out, if we both mated?" Her eyes were now wide as saucers as she said: "But what if we are not? How could you know..."

He looked down tenderly and said: "How could I know about any female, really? What I can say is that so far, I have felt for you what I have never felt for any females before. You make me feel possessive of you, and never before had I felt the need to protect what is mine. You have made me want to feel more, made me want to get more. If it was not to make your life easier with my court, I would mate you here and now, and would let no arguments get in the way. My Sakura, to me, the proof that you are my intended mate is the dream that I had last night..." As he saw her frown, he knew that further explanations were needed. He then continued: "When a demon finds his intended and mates her, he gets violent nightmares. It is our instincts way to let us know the consequences of not being a good mate. For my beast, we are already mated, which is why it sent me the dreadful vision I had..." His voice caught in his chest as he recalled his nightmare. When he saw that he had not fully answered her questions, he continued: "These dreams are meant to bring a mated pair closer, as the alpha draws comfort from their mate. This makes the protective instincts of the alpha stronger, as the dreams are always a display of their weaknesses and how they had affected their mates. The only thing I do not understand is that since my beast considers you its mate, why did the mating knot not form?"

Sakura's left eyebrow arched, indicating that she was about to voice a question: "The mating knot?" She saw that her demon slightly blush in embarrassment as he said: "Well, this is a conversation that females would normally have between themselves... mothers and daughters, or older sisters giving younger ones advice..." Sakura's eyes narrowed as she spoke in a cool, demanding voice: "My Sesshoumarou, after what has happened between us last night, there is no need for false modesty. Since your beast considers me to be your mate, pray tell what it is that my mother or my older sister might have told me, had I been a demon..."

Sesshoumarou did not miss the change in her attitude when he did not answer immediately. He started pondering a thought... what if she was supposed to be his alpha in their couple... perhaps this was what had stopped him from mating her, as he remembered that she was the one who had firmly held his head and stopped him from biting down on her tempting neck. It somehow did not cross him to have her as his alpha, as he knew that she was fair and strong. He smiled internally, as he was one of Japan's most feared demons, a Lord of the Four Countries, and was considering letting a small miko become his alpha. He then noticed her gaze and gulped, as he knew that he had been lost in his thoughts. He quickly started: "The mating knot happens during the heats, and nearly guarantees conception. It is when the male momentarily stays stuck within the female to prevent his seed from leaking out. Though I would have loved to pup you in your first heats, we will have to wait until the next ones to try again..."

Sakura registered the disappointment in his tone and said: "Well, it's only a month... besides, we never know, humans don't need that knot to get pregnant..." When it was his turn to shoot her inquisitive looks, she then said: "Human 'heats' as you call them come every month, between her bleedings. That is when she is able to conceive. If these new demon heats coincide with my human ones, perhaps I might turn out pregnant..." Sesshoumarou planted his lips passionately on hers. He had never thought of the way her body was different from that of a demon. He broke the kiss and asked: "Does that mean that if you are not pupped now, we might be able to get you pupped next month?" Sakura smiled tenderly at him and said: "Yes, that's how it works. What's with you and getting me pregnant anyway..." She was once again interrupted with a smouldering kiss.

Sesshoumarou had registered her comment as being a question, one he would answer as soon as he had finished with her mouth. He finally let go and said: "My Sakura will be most beautiful when round and pupped... we want pups in our household, as it has been most empty without them... we want to see them running around the grounds, playing and growing into strong whelps... Dog demons have a strong pack sense, and it is important to us that our pack is large and powerful."

She smiled back at him, warmly. She simply rested her head on his strong chest, content to simply let his powerful heart beat lull her back to peaceful slumber. She had felt the powerful tug of sleep and was unable to resist. When she woke, she opened her eyes to a beautiful room. The fact that she was not in the same room that she had fallen asleep in did not alarm her, as her presence in this room felt so right. She looked around to see her demon lord's colors hanging from the walls, as well as beautiful scrolls hanging from dark coloured walls. The large bed she was lying on was a mountain of silk. The large head board held two family crests, both of which she was familiar with. One was the familiar three stars which adorned her demons forehead, the large middle star flanked by two smaller ones. Within the large middle star was encompassed Sesshoumarou's crescent moon.

It was most strange to the young miko, as it looked as though both crescents had merged to form a new one. Though odd, it felt familiar and right. She was wearing a silky sleeping kimono which clung to her body. She reluctantly got out of bed and walked towards one of two dressers. She somehow knew that the right dresser was the one which contained her clothes. She opened the top drawer, and pulled out the first bundle which held a precious content. She had remembered that kimonos were best kept when individually wrapped in rice paper, which kept humidity at bay instead of hanging them open and vulnerable to moisture and moths. She opened it and saw a beautiful burnt amber kimono, with a striking fiery red inlay. She wrapped in the red inlay and couldn't help but run her fingers on the stars and crescent moons that were embroidered along the hems of it. The crests were still separated, as if dancing around each other teasingly. She then picked up the outer layer and smiled as the back displayed proudly both crests in their fused form. She wrapped herself in it and picked out a deep chocolate brown obi which narrowed her waist nicely.

The door opened and a child came in running, throwing his arms around her waist. She looked down at him lovingly, as she patted the small, white head of hair. She took time to tickle the small ears that were sitting at the top of his head. Turquoise eyes stared back at her playfully. She tried to take as serious face as she said: "You are getting old enough to learn to knock on a lady's door before waltzing in, young man..." He grinned at her and answered: "But you're not a lady, you're my mom..." Sakura couldn't help but smile at her first born. She picked him up and blew a raspberry in his neck and said: "That will be your punishment... I'll tickle you until you beg me to stop..."

She knew that the child was spoiled rotten, but little did she care. She loved her child and knew that he would have all his life to act like the lord he would once become. She carried him to her large bed and started tickling her pup, pinning him down when he was trying to run away. She was amazed at how quickly he had grown. Not quite as fast as a full demon, being the half-demon that he was, he had still grown faster than a human child. He would soon begin his second year of life, and yet he looked about five years old by human standards. He was as red as a ripe tomato, and she knew that it would be best to have him calm down. She placed small kisses on his neck, occasionally kissing the new crest on her son's forehead. It had retained its original colors. The stars were shimmering silver, and the moon crescent was a startling magenta. When she saw that his breathing was back to normal, she looked at him and said playfully: "How about we go bother your father?" He smiled deviously and made a straight run for the bedroom door, only halting for his mother to catch up to him.

He took her hand in his and pulled her towards their private gardens. She had always loved it there, as her demon lord had recreated the setting of their first intimate encounter. She loved how the weeping willows would softly bristle in the wind, and how the sound of the small water fall would echo. It was a place where the three of them could be a family, away from all the paper work and the obligations of the council. What she liked most about the gardens was that it kept her son away from the court, and the snickering demons in it. Though stronger than most demons, her son was still a half-demon, and son to a miko to top things of. She knew that the members of the council were loyal to them, but the court was something else. As they walked into their gardens, a strange weariness grew within her. Her instincts were telling her to go back inside with her pup. She was however slightly reassured when she saw her intended mate pulling his nose out of his book and giving her a warm look.

She picked up their son and made her way faster to her demon lord, and planted a kiss on his warm lips. She felt her boy wiggle in her arms, as he was being sandwiched between his parents. She let the struggling pup down, as she knew that he would rather be running around than stay in her arms. She felt her demon lord wrap his arms around her waist as he said, a mere whisper in her ear: "We will be reaching the two year mark soon... you'll be entering your heats once more. I have made arrangements to have Touga looked after by my mother so we may have privacy for the upcoming days for when I mark you officially." Sakura couldn't help but smile at his proposal. She kissed him passionately, but broke it off when her maternal instincts told her something was wrong. She turned her head around to spot her son, who was playing with a small kiba that they had given him a few weeks ago. Both pups loved each other and were nearly inseparable.

Sakura now felt that something was truly amok, as her strong miko sense could feel several evil auras closing in on them. She moved closer to her son, but as she did, he vanished right from before her eyes. Something fast had gotten him, something that got him in the blink of an eye. She heard Sesshoumarou let out a loud, vicious snarl. Wolfe and panther demons started closing in on the couple, and she said: "Where is my pup..." She was interrupted as a demon appeared inches from her. She backed to be closer to her demon. She looked into the demon's eyes, and felt her soul being burnt by the darkness of the being standing in front of her. She had never encountered such a dark spirit, and it made her entire soul scream. She wanted to turn and flee, but fought her instincts as she needed to rescue her son.

She recognized the demon standing before her as a scorpion demon. She had never encountered any, but knew them to be powerful and sadistic. The man towered above her, his black eyes glowering at her. His tousled black hair gave him a wild look. His pale alabaster skin rivalled Sesshoumarou's, and Sakura couldn't help but find that he glowed in a dangerous, fascinating way. There was something else in his eyes as he watched her. She couldn't quite place it, but recognized it as nothing good for her. She held out her hand to call forth her Ochaida. He noticed her movement, and held out her small, unconscious son. He held a claw to his jaw and spoke in a deep, cruel tone: "Call forth your monster sword, miko, and your son loses his life." His tone suddenly took a lecherous tone as he said: "I only wanted to speak with you, my little miko." Sesshoumarou snarled violently at his comment. He would not allow another male to claim possession of his intended mate, and would make it known to the male standing before him.

The dark demon chuckled as he said: "Down boy, the warning goes to you as well. It is your heir that I hold in my grip, you'd better behave..." He looked at the little miko and continued: "I have been trying to get to you for the past two years, and since my minions have all failed, I have decided to come myself... I have an offer for you, little miko." As he saw that he had her full attention, he said: "You will not mate with the lord of the west, and you will join me in my castle instead. If you refuse, your pup will die, and so will the lord of the west..."

Sakura was about to argue when she felt her demon lord being attacked. She turned around and saw that whatever was attacking him moved faster than he could see and was tearing at his flesh mercilessly. She saw him fall to his knees, as large gashes were now bleeding profusely, robbing him of his strength. He held out his hand to her, as a final wound was made to his neck, rupturing his jugular. As she rushed to him, he fell in her arms, limp. She felt the life running out of him, as his heart beat became slower and slower. Sakura's mind was completely lost as she felt his warm blood covering her. Tears were flowing steadily from her eyes as she held on to him, as tightly as she could. She felt him breath out his last breath as his body could no longer struggle. She hardly registered the voice that the other demon had spoken when he said: "That damn little uncontrollable pest... Oh well, one less problem in my way... but then, I can't really have a disgruntled heir coming after his father's killer in a few years..."

As the words finally hit her, she only had the time to look up in horror as the scorpion demon snapped her son's neck, killing him instantly. He unceremoniously threw the small body on top of the dead demon lord and looked at the broken miko, a sadistic smile on his face as he spoke: "I am going to be merciful and let you burry your dead, but know my little miko, that by your next heats, you will be mine..."

Sakura's mind registered what he had just said, and went into a frenzied mode. She would never accept to have that beast touch her. As she looked down on her beloved family, now lifeless, she called forth her katana. She had forged it herself, from the fang of her now dead mate to be. She would join them in the afterlife, as she would not be able to continue without them. She heard a voice which brought her out of her stupor; her Sesshoumarou was calling to her. She let her soul travel, following the voice, forgetting about the demons that had her surrounded. She travelled far from the gardens, to a place which felt safe and warm.

Sesshoumarou had woken up startled when he had felt his little miko tensed in her sleep. He knew that she was dreaming, and that the dream had upset her. He did not want to intrude on her privacy once again, but he wanted to bring her some comfort. He kissed her in the crook of the neck and rocked her, even let out his deep rumble for her, yet nothing seemed to calm her. He started calling out to her, to wake her. That seemed to do the trick, as she was coming back to consciousness. Her eyes flew wide as she sat upright in bed. She seemed confused at first as she looked around the unfamiliar room. When she saw Sesshoumarou, she jumped on his lap, holding on to him as if her life depended on it. She was crying profusely, and the demon lord could fell that his sleeping kimono was now getting wet from the salty tears. She was trembling, and Sesshoumarou wrapped his tail around her to comfort her. He did not know what had brought such a breakdown, but he knew that she would need to calm before he would get some answers. He heard her say in ragged breaths: "Where... where is... he?"

The demon lord frowned as he said: "Where is who, my miko?" Sesshoumarou did not think it was possible, but her small frame tightened its grip around his torso as she spoke: "Where... is Touga?" Sesshoumarou was quite confused as she asked for his father by name, as he said: "Did you meet my father in your dream, my miko?"

Sakura frowned, as she was slowly gathering her wits back. She took another good look in the room and recognized it as the room they had been while visiting the horse breeder. What she had just gone through was a vivid nightmare; incredibly painful, but only a dream. A shiver went down her spine as she hoped that she had not had a vision of the things to come. She was slowly relaxing, as she needed to analyse the dream, and she knew that two heads would be better the one in doing so. She took deep breaths and concentrated on the demon lord's heart beat, the same one she had heard slowly fade away in her dream. She pushed the image away as she knew that it would only bring another wave of sobbing. She needed to be clear headed to analyse the problem at hand. She continued breathing regularly, and she felt her demon lord licking her neck, trying to bring her reassurance. She nuzzled her face in his hair, drinking his smell. She started feel her body calm down.

Sesshoumarou had felt the strength of her distress and was thoroughly confused as to what exactly had happened in her dream and how his father fit in the bigger picture. He knew that he would not get any answers if he pushed her, so he chose to wait for her to come around. Her demeanour changed as she calmed down, and he felt that her nuzzling changed into kisses on his chest. She was on his lap, but changed her position to be straddling him. Her naked body pressed into his in a pressing, desperate way. She made her way to his mouth and attacked it violently. He could feel that her actions were bringing her comfort, and he would not stop it. He actually found himself quite aroused to feel her in such a dominating position. He felt her wet folds rubbing against his hard member and growled in lust and pleasure in her mouth. He let his hands trail her back and her round buttocks and he was rewarded with a moan from his miko.

Sakura had suddenly felt a deep need to feel her demon lord pressed, deep within her. She needed him, and she knew her actions lacked their usual finesse. She did not care, as she felt that he was hard under her and waiting for her to make her move. She knew that she was already wet, and with one thrust of her hip, she slid his entire shaft within her. She felt him gasp in surprise in her mouth, as she had not given nor received any foreplay, but she did not care. She hardly let her body adjust to his size before starting to buck her hips on his at a maddening paste. She abandoned his mouth, as she needed to breath deeper as the jolts of pleasure were igniting her entire body. She was engulfed by a lustful blaze as she felt her fangs grow. She looked at his neck, which he offered readily. She felt that they were both close to their release, and she said possessively: "_**Mine"**_

Sesshoumarou was slightly startled to hear her say so. He chuckled internally as he saw her staring at his neck in a lustful way. He noticed that her small human teeth had grown into full fangs. He offered his neck submissively and said: "Yes, yours..."

Sakura thought she must have lost her mind, as she approached her mouth to the crook of his neck. She felt that her body was about to erupt in a full force orgasm as she said: _**"Join me in my climax, my Sesshoumarou..."**_ She felt the demon lord start bucking his hips to match her own. Her mind was going wild as she felt their two bodies moving as one. She felt herself reach her climax as he exploded within her. She bit down on his neck, feeling his sweet blood trickle in her mouth. She let go of him and started licking the small wound clean. She felt her demon shiver under her as she did so, and she asked: "Does this bring your pleasure?" She continued licking, and she got her answer, as she felt him stiffen up within her. She started rocking her hips all while licking the mating mark. She felt him growl in satisfaction, as she started moving her body up and down his shaft. She knew that there would be repercussions to her actions, but she would face those later.

Sesshoumarou wanted to flip her on all fours, but she was the alpha now and she would decide which positions they would assume during intercourse. She seemed to read his mind as she slowly withdrew from him, letting his dripping manhood exposed to the cold air. She then positioned herself in front of him, her tempting rump in the air. He did not wait for a written invitation to position himself behind her and swiftly entering her wet folds. Of all positions, it was the one he favoured, as it called to his bestial side, as well as he knew brought the female to greater heights. He started pumping into her, feeling her tight womanhood around him and revelled in the sensations. She was now moaning his name loudly and knew that she would soon reach another peak. He started rubbing her pleasure nod and felt her body shiver under him. He started licking her back, seeing the goose bumps appear wherever his smooth tongue had passed. He pressed his nose into her hair, and was grateful that she was so small, as with taller demonesses, he had found it uncomfortable to reach their mouths and kiss them in his position. He whispered in her ear: "May your Sesshoumarou release himself at the same time as his alpha?" She turned her head and kissed him passionately and then said: "Of course you may, my Sesshoumarou..." Hearing her speak his name, her voice filled with lustful passion nearly threw him over the edge, but he needed to bring her there before him. He pumped harder and faster within her, and worked his fingers faster around her pleasure nod. He heard her breathing become ragged and irregular, indicating that she was closer to her release. As he trusted harder and harder, he felt her precious nectar dripping down his sack and thighs, and slapping back on hers. This was producing a most erogenous sound to both partners, as they worked each other to climaxing.

Sakura could feel that he was close to reaching his limit as he had swollen within her. He was now grunting with every thrust. She tightened her vaginal muscles around him, and earned a deep moan from her mate. This also increased her own pleasure, thinking how he now considered her his alpha. She got a small kick out of the fact that he has asked her if he could find release, and that he would not reach his own climax before she did. She liked the new power that she now had on her demon lord. She felt him pounding her harder and faster and felt her entire flare up as she was so close to reaching climax that her entire pelvic was now throbbing almost painfully. She felt him nibbling on the nape of her neck, and her mind went blank as her orgasm violently shook her body. She felt her mate shoot his hot seed within her, and collapse on her back, exhausted. She smiled as she felt his hair gently tickling her sides. She rolled them to the side, dropping heavily on their sides, completely spent. Sesshoumarou had not withdrawn himself from her, and she did not care. She enjoyed feeling him within her, as though it was a most precious link between them.

Sesshoumarou was thoroughly drained, in more ways than one. He nuzzled his nose in his alpha's hair, as her scent brought him much calmness and peace. He waited until both their breathing returned to normal to say: "May your Sesshoumarou ask what it is that you have dreamt of that brought you such distress?" He felt her turn around so that she may look at him in the eyes. He saw intense pain as she was remembering the events in her dream. He rubbed his nose on hers, trying his best to be reassuring. She took a deep breath and started to tell him of her dream, and how it had made her feel.

The whole time, Sesshoumarou was stroking her back and petting her hair, occasionally kissing her when her voice would crack. He knew that since it was determined that she would become his alpha, she would have nightmares that would warn her of consequences of not being an adequate mate. However, he had never heard of the dreams being so specific. The dreams were supposed to show the end results, not the whole battle. He frowned as she finished her tale, her voice sounding exhausted. He asked: "My Sakura, have you ever had prescient dreams?" He saw her eyes fill with tears as she nodded as an answer. He then asked: "And you felt that this dream was one showing you the future?" As she nodded again, he continued: "Is this why you accelerated the mating?" As she was still unable to answer, afraid that this would bring another wave of tears, Sesshoumarou continued: "I agree with you, as these are not the typical dreams that an alpha would have. I would have done the same thing; change the variables in the dream, ensure that it would not happen..." Sesshoumarou was interrupted by a kiss planted on his lips. His miko was holding on to him as if her life depended on it.

Sakura was grateful that her mate was so swift, as he had understood what had motivated her actions without having to spell it out for him. She would have loved to wait until they had both professed their love for one another, but she also had to stop whatever events would lead to that dreadful dream. She suddenly felt the urge to sleep, and she simply nuzzled her nose to her demon's chest and fell asleep, feeling safe and protected.

She woke to find herself in a beautiful meadow, surrounded by weeping willows, standing tall around her. She heard a familiar voice say: "You like those trees, don't you? Most girls prefer cherry trees when in bloom..." Sakura turned to face the demon that was locked inside her. She still found it hard to believe Sesshoumarou's theory that she herself was a demon, and that what she perceived as the demon was in fact the embodiment of her demonic aura.

The demon spoke, once more: "He is right, you know... His theory is in fact correct. You were supposed to be told when reaching adulthood, but the caregivers who were raising you choose to give you false information for some reason..." Sakura snorted at the demon's comments and replied in a harsh tone: "You can hardly call these people caregivers... that would imply that they cared. Though they did care about one important thing I did, which is fill in the shrine's treasury..." The demon's eyes clouded with grief. She then said in a soft, apologetic voice: "If I had known that you had suffered through so much, I would not have allowed these people to continue; I would have unleashed hell's fury on them. It has only been since we have come to this time that I am aware of all that happens... before I was blind and bound. The seal was meant to protect us and keep us away from the enemies of the North who would harm us..." Sakura was about to ask the demon more explanations, but she held out her hand and said: "Please let me continue, and if you have any questions after what I have told you, I will answer the best I can... Now, it all started two hundred years prior to this very time, about seven hundred years from the time where you grew up..."

Sakura was sceptical as the demon started her narration. The scenery suddenly changed around them, fading away and reappearing, changed. Sakura nearly gagged at the new scenery, as they were standing under fully bloomed cherry trees. The trees invoked something within her, a deep feeling of dread, mixed with the blood of innocents. The demon said: "This tale will also explain your repulsion to the flowers you got your name from... You will have to ask your mate what are the events that lead to the fall of the lady and the lord of the North, as I only know what happens from this point forward..." Sakura was truly puzzled, and about to ask, when a scene played before her eyes, like a movie would.

It was a truly gruesome battle field, where bloody corpses lay on the green grass. The scene seemed to have three people as its epicentre; a heavily pregnant woman, a large man and a small boy. All three were lying on the floor, hearts ripped out. Sakura felt her heart clench, thinking of who could be so cruel and do such a thing. Her mind computed faster than most, and she suddenly thought of her own dream. She pushed the thought away, as she heard someone coming their way. She saw the distinguishable colors and look of a monk's cloak and sighed internally as she though '_Great, the two things I loathe the most, monks and sakura blossoms... fantastic...' _The demon seemed to react to her mental cringe and commented: "Don't worry, this one is the one who saved our life..."

Sakura was now curious, as she followed the monk's movements. He was still on the path leading away from the massacre as he suddenly snapped out of his meditative state. He moved with surprising speed towards the dead family. He knelt and pressed his hand on the bulging stomach of the woman and seemed to concentrate on its content. Sakura had seen it on occasions, where the soul and will of the unborn child had been especially strong, and some foetuses would survive their mothers for some time before dying themselves. Fast medical help was needed. She ran to the kneeling monk out of instinct, and let her aura flare around the monk and into the belly of the dead woman. She felt the small presence and her heart clenched. She knew that this was just a vision, and there was nothing that she could do to save the small being. The monk turned around and said: "I can feel you, reaching beyond time... you are a miko, and there is a demon with you... you feel as though you can do something to help the child within. Please lead my movements, as I do not know what to do..."

Sakura was shocked at what he said. Following her instincts, she placed her right hand on the monk's right hand, and guided him to a small dagger lying on the floor. It looked sharp enough and holding it like a surgical knife, she guided him to cutting the clothes covering the large stomach. Her medical background cringed, as she would normally remove all clothes to prevent risks of infections, but she also though about the people lying in front of her, and out of respect and modesty cut away only what was needed. She performed a large slit, not having to worry about being careful of the mother's well being, and did what was best for the child. Instead of squeezing it though a narrow slit through the uterus, she simply gouged out the entire organ and laid it on the grass. Once the mass of tissue on the green vegetation, she skilfully slid the dagger between the child and the tissue, freeing the small girl from its grip. She then cut the umbilical cord and gave her a small slap on the buttocks to force her to take her first breath. The child let out a loud yell, and Sakura knew that she was saved. She beamed a proud smile back at the demon, who was simply smirking.

The monk was speechless. He had felt his limbs move of his own, as he had saved the small child. He wrapped the infant in one of his spare cloaks and had rocked her gently. He looked into the turquoise eyes that were staring back and said: "Such a mysterious creature that you are little one... Your karma was to live, no matter what. Now, what shall we name you...?" Sakura cursed under her breath before saying: "Anything but Sakura would be a great thing..." The priest shot a look back and murmured: "Sakura..." Before looking up to the blooms and saying: "Well, a most befitting name, little Sakura, though your stunning eyes might have begged for more exotic name, you shall truly be a flower who will bloom despite adversity..."

Sakura's jaw dropped as she finally noticed the infant in the man's arms, and the glowing turquoise eyes that were staring back at the man, inquisitively. She knew that she had not only witnessed, but also played a key part in her own birth. She fell to her knees as she saw the man perform the ceremonial blessings to welcome her to life and honour her parents. She felt hot tears running down her face as she looked at the family that she should have had; a beautiful mother, a strong father, and an intrepid older brother.

She felt a terrible sense of lost, when soothing words came to her: "You might feel that you have lost so much, yet you live. Mark my words, little Sakura, as your future is quite clear to me; you will live, and through adversity, you will find your soul mate. He will give you the family which was robbed from you, as well as the happiness that you deserve. You will live to see the ones responsible for this tragedy pay, as the lord and lady of the North were good, generous people, and karma always punishes those who harm innocents out of greed. Not only will what is rightfully yours returned, you will gain more then what you have lost, as you are the flower that will bloom in adversity... You will bring warmth to the coldest winter's night, renew the innocence of a disastrously dry or flooded spring, bring birth to an infertile summer and bountifulness to a cruel fall. You will first be the miko of the four seasons then the lady of the west, and grow into the lord of the four countries. You will become mighty and powerful, and none will oppose you. Such is your karma. Some may cower in fear at the thought of such heavy burden, yet you will face it and lift this burden as a feather on your shoulder, as easily as you yield your monster Ochaida. You will be as the four winds, and all shall bow in your way. All but your mate, who shall stand tall by your side."

He placed the infant on the floor and chanted a spell, which made the ground light in an eerie blue light, the familiar hew which had sent Sakura back in time to the past. The monk said: "May you be safe, little one..."

Sakura was flabbergasted, as she saw the setting fade back the willow surrounded meadow. The demon walked next to her and sat down to be at the same level she was. She waited until Sakura recovered from her shock, and said: "The seal was meant as a way to keep us safe from whoever attacked our family. It was also meant to return us when it would be safe for us to do so, or when you would be strong enough to deal with the being responsible for all this. My guess is that you have become strong enough, since there are still demons after us. Also, the seal has placed us on the path of a powerful ally. Sesshoumarou's strength will be necessary to protect us, as well as regain our title back. We still have men who are loyal to us, two of which have already come to you." Sakura was about to inquire when the demon said: "The little hawk who attacked our mate, he is the best strategist this country has ever seen. He's been like a father to ours, and he probably took offense of what was happening the other night..."

Sakura's face flared to a brilliant tomato blush. She was mortified, thinking about the first impressions she had made on someone that was so close to her family. The demon continued: "Don't worry, he has raised five girls and three boys, he knows how to deal with over excited pups. The large stallion who is so aggressive towards all is your first general. He will ferociously defend you, as he now sees you as his leader. I have to give you my praise, as I truly did not know how you would get him to calm down. The third will come in the form of a small kiba dog. He is your head of council, and head of all diplomatic envoys. He will be of great advice, when the two countries will merge..." Sakura's head was spinning from the information overload. She asked: "But I don't feel any demonic aura from them... Unless I discover a hidden talent to converse with animals, how can they be my advisors?"

The demon gave her a sharp nod and said: "Their auras are bound, in a seal similar to ours. They will be until Sesshoumarou mates us. Only then will our full aura be released. Doing so now would expose us too soon to our enemy, as we are not ready to face him. I will have to force the seal to release some of your demonic strength to protect you. It is only for this reason, if not I would have kept you completely sealed until the mating is complete." Sakura frowned and said: "Then why are you doing it?" The demon smiled and said: "To protect you... Both Sesshoumarou and ourselves have poisonous claws. Our pups will most likely have quite a toxic brew of poison. Your miko abilities should purify it, but we do not wish to take the chance..." Sakura had assimilated her statement and said: "Do you plan on me getting pregnant soon? The reason I ask is that if there is a chance that the pregnancy could be dangerous, I could just explain it to Sesshoumarou and he'll make a knot in it until we are mated officially... Besides, didn't he say that the demon heats happen every other year? It will be frustrating to be around each other and not doing anything, but we're both adults, we can control our raging hormones..."

The demon chuckled at the statement and answered: "If it was that simple, we would have agreed, but it's not. We needed to rut on our heats, if not we would have died. The bleeding our human body has been experiencing was only to keep face, so that none would suspect that we were not human. Our heats were blocked by the seal until coming back to this time. Our guess is that our body reacted to our soul mate and needed to ensure an everlasting bond. Since Sesshoumarou has such a strong control of his bestial side, it inverted the roles, and made us the alpha. It's the same as when some species of frogs or fish change gender; it is to preserve the species' permanence... It was in the nature of things that we should be mated so full demon heats were forced upon our body. Also, since your mind was fighting the mating, and Sesshoumarou was fighting it only half heartedly, and only to respect his promise, our instincts took over and did what we longed to do."

She paused and said: "We have been successfully pupped, and our mate will be happy... slow merging is the only way to survive, as we will be baring full blooded pups. We are both quite powerful, and we will be producing quite powerful heirs. We need to slowly poor demonic strength into your body, as demon pregnancies are quite trying on the body. We will also have to follow a strict diet to ensure that our body is not drained and is ready for birthing, as it might be difficult a difficult birth..." Sakura had held back her questions for as long as she could when she said: "Well, if I am human right now, how can we have full blooded pups... shouldn't we be having half-demons, similar to his brother? Wouldn't that be easier on my body? Also, why would the birth be harder for a demon birthing than a human birth?"

The demon looked into her eyes and said: "For your first question, you are a wolf in a sheep's clothing... though the seal has made you look and feel human, you are still a demon, down to the core. Your molecular structure is demonic, and no seal will ever change that. If you had been to remain in your quiet little life in the twenty first century, had you ever taken a human mate and produced a child, on a purely hypothetic basis, that child would have been a half demon, as your half cannot be changed." The demon halted as she saw the miko chuckle.

She gave her an inquisitive look, and the miko answered: "I can only imagine the technicians and nurses performing the first ultrasounds and seeing that the child has cute puppy ears firmly mounted on its head..." though the comment seemed wasted on the demon, Sakura couldn't help but laugh. It helped her release some of the tensions that the recent revelations had brought. She rode the laughter for all it could offer, and wiping off a tear of joy, she said: "That is a fair answer, but what of the second question?"

The demon's stance changed slightly as she said: "The gift of prescience comes from our demonic abilities... Very few demons have been able to view the future, and it is one of the most prestigious gifts that one may possess. When I knew us pupped, I looked into the near future, and saw that we would need to reinforce the barrier protecting the pups and keeping them within our womb, as our waters might be broken forcefully at the halfway mark of our pregnancy..." Sakura suddenly felt anxious, as she mentally made a list of all the things that would cause miscarriage past the twentieth week. She knew that these were violent times. She spoke in a quiet voice: "If Sesshoumarou marks me as his mate before the halfway point in our pregnancy, are the risks lessened?" She saw the demon stiffen as her eyes went blank.

For reasons unbeknownst to her, Sakura knew that her demon was looking at the possibility which she had just suggested. Light came back to the turquoise eyes and she said: "I don't foresee it being any different... though there might be a small chance that it would help." Sakura's eyes narrowed as she spoke in a cold, calculating voice: "And pray tell how it would potentially help." Her demon seemed to squirm before her and finally said: "It will not stop the events that will require the barrier be put in place, but the mating will make it less painful on us, and less traumatic on the pups, as our mate will be able to bring us comfort and calm the pups during birth..." Sakura interrupted the demon and said: "Well, your predictions might be off slightly on that one... since our mate has made it quite clear that he does not wish to be present during the labour..." As she paused, she felt her heart clench at the thought of going through the pains of birth without her mate.

Sakura felt her demon's aura flare up as she spoke in a deep, husky voice: _**"Mate will be there... we will have him stay... He will not cower away... He will be present during the birthing of our pups...**_**"** Sakura felt a certain reassurance from the words that her demon said, as she knew that she was still the dominant partner in the couple, and that if she told him to stay with her, he would. Though she could order him, Sakura knew that down within, she wanted him to volunteer. She pushed the thought away as she asked: "You have been speaking of pups, and not of a pup... is that as simple grammatical error, or are you hinting on the fact that I might be pregnant with more than one child?"

To her question, she would get no answer tonight... as she felt her body being pulled to a deeper state of slumber, as both she and her demon were thoroughly exhausted.

A/N: That's it for now folks, hope you've enjoyed!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N Once again, thanks for the reviews always very pleasant to read! Enjoy!

Sesshoumarou had woken once the first glares of the sun hit the bed. He noticed that he was spooning his alpha, and that he was still within her and he had a raging morning hard-on. He did not want to wake his miko, so he withdrew from her wet folds and headed for the bathroom that was adjacent to their room. He gripped his turgescent member and started stroking it rapidly, thinking about the sleeping female. He was quite glad that she was sleeping though, as he knew that she would thoroughly deplete him of his energy would she be awake, and though he had enjoyed every single moment that they had shared, he wanted to be in his castle, in his own bed. The horse breeder had been a most gracious host, but he longed for his own domain, where he would be free to court his alpha on his own territory. Thinking about his little miko, and how he was now hers, he felt shivers webbing out from his mating mark to his throbbing member, as he thought of the hours that had just come to pass.

His miko had given him all he could hope for. They were now bound, and he knew that it was only a matter of time before she agreed to him marking her as is. He rubbed his mating mark with his free hand, which sent new jolts of pleasure through his body. He felt himself close to his release, and held a towel close him to avoid making an embarrassing mess. Sesshoumarou had not pleasured himself in years, as he always could find an available female to ease his discomfort when needed. However, he would not wake his alpha for such menial reasons. Thinking of her made him reach his peak, and his seed spilled into the towel, which he quickly disposed of.

Sesshoumarou returned to the bed, where his miko was still sound asleep, He slid carefully back to her slumbering body and nuzzled his face in her thick head of hair. That's when he noticed a shift in her scent. He frowned as he inhaled again, deeper. She still held her four seasons smell, yet her human base was changing. For lack of better comparison, he found that the smell defining her essence was now closer to that of a half-demon than to that of a human. He then noticed certain physical changes as he opened his eyes. Her dark head of hair was now displaying silver streaks, which shimmered under the sun. He raised his head and saw that her small hands now displayed a set of sharp claws. He remembered that her canines had grown into fangs the previous night and suspected that they had remained that way. Her ears were now slightly pointed on the top. She did not have any of the typical stripes demons usually displayed, but Sesshoumarou somehow knew that her transformation was not complete. She turned around to nuzzle to his chest in her sleep. That's when he noticed the distinguishable look of a family crest on her forehead.

Sesshoumarou only saw it for a second, as she pressed her entire face onto his bare pectorals. It flashed before his eyes, as the sun gleamed on it, making its silver hews dancing. Though he had only seen it for less than a second, he knew exactly what it looked like, as he had seen it when he was younger. It was the unmistakable crest of the house of the North Country. The resemblances now struck him. He was just a pup at the time, but he clearly remembered the lady and lord of the north. He had visited so often, as his father was close to them. He had loved going there, as his closest friend was their son, Kazuhiko. He remembered the lady of the North, as she had been a very loving person. She had always treated him like her own son. Lady Katsumi was one of the most gentle and caring person Sesshoumarou had ever met. She made him feel as though he was part of their family and had even defended him fiercely once. She was also a striking beauty. She had pale marble skin, sparkling floor length silver hair, deep magenta eyes and a tall, slender figure.

Sesshoumarou smiled as he remembered an episode where she had shown his own mother that the lady of the North truly was a force to be reckoned with. Kazuhiko and himself had gone to play, and as pups will be pups, they had ended up chasing frogs into a swamp, and gotten covered up in stinky mud. He remembered lady Katsumi's warm laughter, as she had seen to mud covered boys return. His mother, on the other hand, snickered in disgust. She had looked at him with disdain and had said that if she had wished a pig for a son, she would have mated a bore demon. Being only a child, his mother's remark had wounded him deeply. He had even felt the prickling of tears in his eyes, when he had heard a large snarl of anger behind him. He had turned to see the lady of the North staring viciously back at his mother as she walked towards Sesshoumarou.

She had knelt before him, and wrapped her arms tenderly around him, ruining her beautiful kimono. His best friend had joined them in the hug, and the mud covered Katsumi had lifted both boys in her arms effortlessly. She had looked at Sesshoumarou's mother and said that she truly did not deserve the child that she had if a little mud was all she needed to hurt his feelings. She had then told both boys that they were going to spend some time in the castle of the north. Both the pups were ecstatic at the idea of spending more time together. Since Katsumi had wanted to avoid having to speak with the ice princess of the West, she decided to simply form a ball of light around her and speed to her castle, leaving her mate to deal with the lord of the West.

Sesshoumarou also remembered the lord of the North, a strong and proud dog demon. Lord Takehiko had always stood strong and had defended his country from many attacks. He stood taller than his own father, and had sun kissed skin as he spent many hours out training his men. He had dark hair that was always tied on his nape. He was fairly handsome, with his square jaw and powerful build, but what made him stand apart were his striking turquoise eyes. A stark contrast to his tanned skin, they held a keen intelligence paired with a love of life. Sesshoumarou's father had once told him that never had he met a more gifted being when it came to weapon handling and strategy. He looked down at his little miko, and now saw where she got her traits and made the mental comparisons.

She had her mother's fair skin, and would soon be showing the same striking marks that she had. He also knew that her mother had the gift of foresight, and she had most likely inherited it from her. She had her light frame and delicate features, and though not as tall as both her parents, she held the same willowy grace that her mother had. Katsumi had excelled in the arts, and Sesshoumarou felt that his miko was probably graced with the same talents. She had inherited her distinct eyes and hair from her father. She most likely inherited his wits and his talents for weapons. Something then hit him during his recollection. He remembered that her father held both the scents of fall and winter. As a complete opposite, her mother had held the scents of spring and summer. He then watched her as she had taken the best traits of both her parents. He held her close to his body, a new surge of protectiveness pulsing through his body. His alpha was truly perfect, and as any precious gem, she was well worth protecting with all one's might.

A few hours later, he felt Sakura starting to stir in his arms. She seemed reluctant to open her eyes, as she looked quite comfortable in the demon lord's arms. Sesshoumarou pressed a kiss on her forehead and nuzzled his chin on the top of her head. She coiled her arms around his waist, and let out a sigh of satisfaction. She was now stroking his back, feeling his smooth skin. His alpha started playing with his silky hair, as she seemed to enjoy the sensation that the silky locks brought to her skin.

Sakura was still groggy from the excess of sleep. She had always been a heavy sleeper, and was known to stay in bed for well over her eight hours. She also enjoyed lounging around in her sheets, as she would plan out her day and slowly emerge from slumber. Some people enjoyed reading the news paper with a coffee while she enjoyed the quiet peacefulness of being alone in her room. This was different. She had somehow slept over twelve hours, and she was not alone in bed. Sakura knew deep inside that Sesshoumarou would not rush her to get out of bed, but she did not want him to feel obligated to stay by her side if he had other things to do. She opened her eyes and saw that she was mistaken, and that he was enjoying this moment as much as she was. His eyes were closed, and a peaceful grin was dancing on his lips.

She felt different for some reason. She had more energy than she had ever felt before. She noticed that Sesshoumarou's scent was somehow stronger and richer. She was also able to distinguish more subtleties in it. She could see the details of his skin more precisely as well. Her heightened hearing could pick up his heartbeat even though her ear was not pressed to his chest. She heard the house bustling, as servants came and went, hushed discussions and louder one amongst the girls hanging the clothes, the cooks in the kitchen preparing their meals, maids cleaning, stable boys taking care of their duties. She found the noises dizzying. She placed both her hands on her ears and concentrated on Sesshoumarou's scent to calm herself. She felt a deep rumble erupt from his chest, as he had sensed her distress.

When he saw his alpha place her hands on her ears, Sesshoumarou understood what had caused her anxiety to flare. She had new, keener senses, and was now being overloaded by them. She had done the right thing by covering her sensitive ears, as this was the hardest sense to overcome. He noticed that she was concentrating on his scent, and also knew that this was also a good idea, as the scent of a mate normally calmed the other. He had let out a deep rumble to try and ease her discomfort. Sesshoumarou knew that dog demons had particularly strong senses, and being bombarded with all that at once was bound to be difficult. He felt her relax slightly in his arms, though still tense, she was growing accustomed to the scents and noises of the place. He made his voice as soft as he could, as he spoke in a mere whisper: "Please concentrate on my voice, my Sakura. It will be hard at first, but you will grow accustomed to the noises and smells..." He heard her whimper, as she was physically in pain from the actions in the house. He wished her transformation had happened in a quieter place, as his alpha was now suffering.

Sakura could take no more, as she erected a barrier around their room, cutting out the sounds and smells of the entire household. She let out a sigh of relief as she felt as though a thousand pounds had been lifted off her body. She had felt cornered, as though pressed by an invisible wall. She only now had Sesshoumarou's and her own noises and smells to deal with. She first noticed that they both needed an encounter with water, as the previous day's events had left their bodies covered in sweat and grime and other bodily fluids. She noticed that Sesshoumarou's core scent had changed to be mixed with some of her own, and she guessed this was a direct consequence of the matting mark. He now held within him her distinctive four season's scent, though most would only get the winter and the fall.

She then heard her own heart beat, as well as heard the blood rushing through her veins. Her heart was beating in sync with her mate's, and she noticed that his was louder than hers. Her scientific mind wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that his chest cavity was larger than hers, thus making the resonating chamber much more voluminous and creating for a larger sound, or was it the fact that his heart might be much larger than hers. She pondered her reflection when she heard her mate say, his voice still very quiet: "Your heart sounds louder to me now, as you have taken me as your mate... It is so that in a crowd I may always find you through any of my senses; scent, sight, feel and hearing. It is part of the matting..."

Sakura smiled warmly back at him, as he had read her unspoken question. She then answered, her voice sounding to loud to her: "Yes, it is the same for me, though I could not hear your heartbeat before unless my head was pressed to your chest, I now hear it clearly and very loudly. I think we should go for a bath... are there hot springs in the house, or are we restrained to bathe in the freezing cold water of the inner spring?" Though she dreaded going into the cold water, she would suffer the minor inconvenient of the freezing water to be clean. She was used to bathing daily, and more than once had she taken a warm shower in the morning and bathed at night. She enjoyed the feeling of clean skin, and hated smelling her own body odours. She saw Sesshoumarou frown before he asked: "Does your Sesshoumarou's scent bother you?" She giggled at the question, as she had never thought that it might make him feel self-conscious. She answered warmly: "Not at all, it is just that I have sweated profusely over the past twenty four hours, my heats and your ministrations helping, and I would like to feel my skin clean."

She paused as she saw that her statements might mislead him and she continued: "Though I thought that intercourse would make me feel... somewhat dirty after all that I have gone through, it is not the case. Would it not be for this damn new sensitive nose, I would revel in your scent, still lingering on my skin. You have to understand that I have never liked smelling of sweat, nor enjoyed the feeling of dried sweat on my skin. It's a personal habit of mine, I like to wash myself at least once a day, sometimes twice or thrice depending on my activities. The time I grew up in holds a much polluted air, and it reeks with odours that you would not even imagine. I always found that at the end of day, my entire body would be permeated with the stench. I think that you are a fairly clean being yourself, and that you like to be tidy... does my explanation make sense?"

Sesshoumarou had somehow relaxed, as she had addressed his concern. He had felt that he might be pushing it too far with the little miko. Though she was a strong being, she had overcome much and he did not want to place her in a situation she was uncomfortable with. She had voice that his actions had not been the center of her discomfort, and he was satisfied with her explanation. He answered: "Your Sesshoumarou understands your need for cleanliness. I enjoy daily bathing as well, as I find it most inappropriate to let your scent become uncomfortable for others. I can understand your need to be clean, and feel refreshed, as I to feel that my skin becomes uncomfortable if I do not wash it after training... and we could say that the activities we have indulged in the past hours were more intense than my daily training..." He saw his miko finally relax as she let out a loud, contagious laugh. Sesshoumarou couldn't help to join her by lightly chuckling, the closest the killing perfection would bring himself to a full on laughter.

Sakura had not missed his change in demeanour when he let his mask down. His eyes held a playful light as he chuckled, and she knew that this was his equivalent of an honest laugh. She then said: "Mark my words my mate, before you mark me as yours, I will see that mask of yours fall and I will hear you roar with laughter." When she saw his cocked eyebrow, as he was trying to put his stoic mask back into place, the playful light dancing in the molten amber did not die; on the contrary, it only intensified. She felt claws playing on her side and she couldn't help but squirm, as she was truly ticklish. She felt her skin turn to gooseflesh under his expert fingers.

When he saw that she was red as a tomato, Sesshoumarou released his alpha from his playful torture. He had loved to see her wriggle against his body, and her clear laughter lifted his spirit. He knew one day, he would be able to truly let down all of his guards with her and do as she had hinted. He did want to roar in laughter with her, his position simply did not allow him such displays. However, he also knew that having her as his alpha placed him in a position where he would one day be able to show his weaknesses in broad daylight. He fluttered kisses on her neck and jaw line and said: "If we continue this route, we will never leave this place, and I do wish to get back to our palace, in what will be our room." He saw her think, and she tapped one of her fingers on his shoulders as she was thinking what he knew was a request before she said, nervousness in her eyes: "I might have a suggestion... You had said that you wanted to delay the mating for until your court accepted me, to make my life easier, right?" Sesshomarou only nodded, pressing her to continue: "What if you were to bring back a full blooded demon mate, pupped with your heir?"

Sakura knew that she was prodding in the dark with her question. She had no ideas what he would say, but she needed to ask. He looked at her and said: "How do you know that once we mate, you will become a full blooded demon?" She answered simply: "Because my demon said so." Sesshoumarou tried to wrap his mind around her suggestion and his eyes narrowed as he spoke: "Though your human heats might come once a month, if you are truly demon, then they come only once every other year, turmoil in my country may grow if I stay away for so long..." Sakura couldn't help the smile that was growing on her face. Sesshoumarou stopped as he looked into her eyes, and said: "Could it be, my Sakura, that you have been pupped despite the mating knot being absent?" The demon lord could not hide the hope present in his voice as he spoke. Sakura kissed him lightly and said: "According to my demon, not only am I pupped, but it was necessary to release some of my demonic aura to protect my body during the gestation. Our pups will be full blooded demons, and since we both have poisonous abilities, my body might be in danger as our pups will most likely have deadly claws..."

Sesshoumarou was beside himself as he crashed his lips on hers. For the first time in his long life had he felt true happiness. He was now the mate of a most precious creature, who was also going to give him an heir. He then frowned as something hit him and said: "Pups?..." Sakura giggled as she answered: "It seemed that you have more in common with your half brother than you think... unless my demon has poor grammar, we are expecting more than one pup..." Sakura paused when she saw that his frown did not disappear. On the contrary, in only intensified into a worried expression. She then asked: "Are you not happy that I might be pregnant with twins?"

Sesshoumarou's heart sunk as he spoke, despair obvious in his tone: "Demon pregnancies are extremely difficult on a female's body, which is why our families count so few members, as opposed to humans. For dog demons, the gestation period is very short, and is very demanding, as it drains the mother's body of essential resources. It is quite often seen that the mother dies in child labour as she has been thoroughly exhausted of her strength, which also explains why we take so much care of our females, as they are truly precious to us. I have never seen a pregnancy where a mother was pupped with twins end well. In most cases, I have heard that the pregnancy ended with the death of mother and pups..." Sesshoumarou's voice caught in his throat as the thought of losing her hit him. He then said, desperately: "My Sakura, I know of herbs which could terminate the..."

Sakura felt her aura flare at the mere suggestion that she might abort the pregnancy. She felt her temper rise as she said: _**"You will not kill my pups"**_ She saw Sesshoumarou cower slightly and calmed down, as she understood that he only wanted to protect her. She then said in a warmer tone: "My demon told me of a way to strengthen the barrier around them, so they would live, as well as of a special diet to keep me strong. Though it does not greatly appeal to me, it consists of raw livers, hearts and meats of all kinds, as the nutriments will keep my constitution strong. I would also suggest that we visit your younger half-brother to get his family concoction's recipe, as I have a sneaking suspicion that it might help." She saw that Sesshoumarou calmed down completely at her last statement. She then continued: "My demon also suggested that we be mated before the birth, as you will have the ability to sooth both me and the pups during birth. She said that your presence will alleviate the pain caused by the barrier, as it will be a taxing birth due to it."

She had kept from voicing it directly, as she wanted it to come from it. She wanted to be present during the birth of their pups, but she would not force him. If he were present only during the pre-labour pains, she would accept that as well. He nodded and then said: "Your Sesshoumarou will be there for you during the birth of our pups. If it brings you any type of support or comfort, then your mate will do what is necessary." Sesshoumarou wanted to lighten the tense atmosphere that had set between them as he said, with his usual haughty tone: "Besides, as fascinating miko said that males found it enlightening to be present during the birth of their pups. I even found that my little half-brother seemed that have found the experience slightly enriching. I, for myself, have always sought out enlightening experiences and would not miss the chance to do so. And mark my words, my little miko, you Sesshoumarou will be present for every birth of every pups that his alpha will grace him with."

Sakura smiled as she felt joyful tears swelling in her eyes. She let out a stressful laughter as she said: "Pray tell, my Sesshoumarou who is the fascinating miko, as I am not good at sharing..." She heard him chuckle, out of relief as he said teasingly: "She is a most intriguing creature, this miko. She cares about others more than she cares for herself. She carries the scent of the four seasons, and is quite intelligent. She is something else, this little miko I tell you..." He heard her chuckle as she spoke: "Well you sound like you almost admire her, now I might be truly jealous..." Sesshoumarou looked into her turquoise eyes, an intent, serious expression taking over his traits as he said: "I feel much more than admiration for her, my alpha..." Sakura then stopped her chuckling as she saw the intensity of his features as she said: "And pray tell, what is it that you feel for that miko, my Sesshoumarou?"

Sesshoumarou paused for a moment and then answered, his gaze locked in hers: "I love you."

Sakura's heart must have skipped several beats as the words he had spoken finally sunk in. She found the ability to finally breathe again as air filled her lungs. She pushed her lips up to his in a strong kiss, and coiled her arms around him in a vice grip. She broke the kiss only to look into his burning amber pools and said: "And I love you, my Sesshoumarou." As his lips came crashing down on hers, a single thought made her chuckle internally, as she thought that the bath could wait...

That's it for today folks, hope you liked


	10. Chapter 10

Sesshoumarou lifted his alpha off the bed, as she had voiced that she wanted to bathe. He knew that a small hot spring was adjacent to their room. He held her close to him, as he continued to kiss her passionately. She had said that she loved him, and he knew that they were now closer to his goal and could almost see the finish line. She just had to authorize him to mark her with his mating mark. He could see the sense in her request, and would wait until the seal would be broken and was full blooded demon again, as well as the pregnancy present in her scent. He also wanted to see if she would remain pregnant, as his own mother had told him that it took several unsuccessful pupping before she bore him to term. Sesshoumarou had always attributed that to the fact that his mother did not have a strand of maternal material in her, but he now started having doubts. If he brought her back now, even if they fully mated, and she miscarried, she might be viewed by the council as unable to conceive, and as a sign that they would need to produce an heir through a concubine. He pondered these thoughts on the way to the warm spring where they would be able to continue their early activity. Now that he was hers, and that he had decided to wait before returning to his castle, he felt as though he had all the time in the world to spend with his alpha.

Still clutching to Sakura, Sesshoumarou lowered both their naked bodies in the comfortable water and felt his body instantly relax. He positioned her onto his lap and coiled his arms around his miko's small frame, and was quite content in holding her close to him, her warmth permeating his whole body. He figured that she might have questions about the changes that had occurred and what would the consequences of her lineage be. He felt slightly tense, as he knew so little of her thus far that he could not anticipate her reaction. Whether good or bad, the demon lord hated surprises, and rarely took a course of action which he could not predict. This little miko, his alpha, had now turned his entire carefully planned track sideways.

Sakura broke the kiss as she felt her demon lord tense in her arms. She had first felt him relax as they had walked into the hot spring, but he now was stiff as a plank. She looked into his golden pools and said in a soft voice: "Is something troubling you, my Sesshoumarou?" She saw Sesshoumarou's gaze intensified as he said: "We need to address something about who you are, my miko... Do you know of the crest which adorns your forehead, my love?" She smiled back at him tenderly and said: "I have my doubts... It is the crest of the house of the North, is it not?" Sesshoumarou could not help but be stunned. She went on to tell him what had happened during the night, up to the point of her recent transformation. She saw Sesshoumarou slightly embarrassed as she told him of her three council members, and how even though in the shapes of beasts still remained somewhat sentient.

The demon lord recalled the events which had occurred while the small hawk had took perch on his head. It was one thing to show his weakness before his long time friend and trusted confidant; it was another to act like an out of control heated pup in front of the long time family friend or your intended mate. He knew he would have his load of work when it came to turning the strategist around and getting into his good graces. It was fair to him though. From what she had said, the man had basically raised his alpha's father, and was like a grandfather to him. It would be only right that he had to prove his worth to the patriarch of any female's family, especially one as special as his little miko. He was up to the challenge, and knew that once the man saw how he treated his mate to be, he would be favourable to his cause. He was truly intrigued about her role in her own birth, as she had seem to be oblivious about all laws of nature and tore through the fabric of time, reaching out to save herself. She then spoke of the prophecy-like words the priest had spoken, and that had his interest peek. He let her finish before he asked: "Could you tell me the priest's exact words, when he spoke of your future?"

Sakura had to concentrate for one moment, but it came back quickly as her photographic memory had engraved the words in her memory for the rest of her life. She then spoke in a quiet, neutral tone: "Mark my words, little Sakura, as your future is quite clear to me; you will live, and through adversity, you will find your soul mate. He will give you the family which was robbed from you, as well as the happiness that you deserve. You will live to see the ones responsible for this tragedy pay, as the lord and lady of the North were good, generous people, and karma always punishes those who harm innocents out of greed. Not only will what is rightfully yours returned, you will gain more then what you have lost, as you are the flower that will bloom in adversity... You will bring warmth to the coldest winter's night, renew the innocence of a disastrously dry or flooded spring, bring birth to an infertile summer and bountifulness to a cruel fall. You will first be the miko of the four seasons then the lady of the west, and grow into the lord of the four countries. You will become mighty and powerful, and none will oppose you. Such is your karma. Some may cower in fear at the thought of such heavy burden, yet you will face it and lift this burden as a feather on your shoulder, as easily as you yield your monster Ochaida. You will be as the four winds, and all shall bow in your way. All but your mate, who shall stand tall by your side."

Sesshomarou pondered her words carefully and felt the burden of it. His mate was a great being with a heavy karma. He started to doubt his right to be by her side. Perhaps she really needed to wait before he marked her, as once that was done, no other being would be considered her equal. Demon society worked in with intricate rules and regulations, and as a general recognized principle, one that was fairly simple, was first come first served. If he was the first to mark her, he would be viewed as her primary mate, her near equal, just as since she had marked him first, no other female would hold such status. Also, as she was his alpha, she would have her say as to who he would be mated to. Should she force him to mate another, he had no power to object. He could ignore the second mate, but he would not be able to refuse his alpha should she order him to rut with the second mate. On the other hand, would she remain unmated, she would be available to mate with another. One who could potentially be stronger, and worthier than him... He loved his alpha, more than he loved his own life. If another could protect her better, he would accept such a situation, would it be only to keep her safe.

Sakura saw that doubt clouded and darkened his golden orbs. She felt worried that he would not stay by her side, as she may be too much trouble for what she was worth. She felt her voice caught in her throught as she said in a strangled voice: "My Sesshoumarou, do you know why it is that I do not fear this heavy karma placed on me?" When she saw that her demon was looking back into her eyes she followed: "It is because I know that I have you by my side. If you are not there with me, then I fear I will not be able to pursue this journey..." She then continued, despite her better judgement as she knew that she was now having a fit of verbal diarrhoea: "I understand that you have your lands to protect, and that you have your responsibilities, and also can appreciate the fact that this was forced upon you and that I might not have much to offer in exchange for the task ahead, and will not hold it against you if you wish not to be implicated..." Sakura stopped as she knew that her nervousness had grown out of hand. She suddenly felt tears prickle her eyes and hoped that she would not have a complete melt down.

Sesshoumarou had watched his alpha struggle as he was quite unreadable to most, and she had misread his doubt in his worthiness as doubt in hers. He cringed, as he knew that with all that she had gone through, being placed in the role that she was now in was not easy. The demon lord rubbed his nose on hers, as he knew that this simple gesture helped calm her. He then said: "My Sakura, as you were not raised in demon society, there are many political intricacies that you are not aware of..." He then thought of a way to soften what he was about to say: "You are clearly destined to a great future, and a truly important role to our country. You are now the new Lady of the West, as you are my alpha, and your word holds greater importance than mine. However, what if I am not that mate who will stand tall next to you?..." He paused, as he felt his chest clench and is own voice caught in his throat, he then continued, voice strained: "If you stay available for a first mate, you might find another powerful ally... I will always be yours, as you are my alpha and will never desert my post by your side. However, what if I am not worthy of being your first mate..."

Sakura jumped at the statement, and wanted to clarify certain points to ensure that she had understood correctly: "You do not want to mark me as yours, not because you do not think that I am worth it, but because..." She left her open and he answered: "Because your Sesshoumarou might not be worthy of you..." Sakura could feel the relief wash over her body. Tears flowed from her eyes as she spoke: "My Sesshoumarou, no other male will ever be as worthy as you. You are my first mate, and unless dire needs will remain my only mate, and will be my last mate. I will not allow you to mark me until you realise that there is, nor will there ever be another for me. You'd better get that done before your country falls into turmoil, as we will not return to your domains until you accept your place as my equal." Her own statements helped her gain her self-confidence back, as she knew that her demon fed of it.

Sesshoumarou felt her demeanor change, and that soothed him. She had spoken with such certainty about his role, and about how confident she was that he was the male fit for the job that he had felt a slight surge in his own pride. If such a magnificent alpha held him in such high esteem, it truly meant that he could do it. He also felt relieved that she had no intentions of taking more mates, could she help it. He looked at his alpha adoringly, as she was still rubbing her nose onto his. He reached for some of the soaps laid on a nearby tray for their use. He knew that her sense of smell would still be very sensitive to all of the fragrant perfumes added to some of them. Sesshoumarou did not care much for these overly scented soaps and preferred the simple ones, those which held one or two light scents. He knew that most women loved the scents of cherry blossoms, but his Sakura hated them with a passion, so he stayed away from those. His second pick would have been lavender, had it been any other female. The scent was quite complex and harsh for sensitive noses, and did not want to add to her discomfort. He hesitated between a soap which held rose petals, and one which held the scent of a flower unknown to him.

Sakura had watched him run his hand over the tray of soaps attentively. She knew that most men would go for the easy sakura scented soap, but his hand passed that one. He then hovered over a lavender soap and passed to the next, which she was grateful for. She loved lavender with a passion. It soothed her nerves, but she felt that her sensitive senses might be a little overwhelmed by it. He then seemed to hesitate between two other soaps, his hand going from one to the other and she lowered herself to his ear and whispered: "Go for the jasmine scented soap for my body, I prefer that flower to roses, as opposed to my hair, which I prefer to be washed with rose infused water, as it makes it silkier."

Sesshoumarou grinned, as she had ended his inner turmoil. He made a mental note to ask of the mysterious flower later, as he was curious how she had come in contact with such a smell and not him. He picked up the soap and lathered it between both his hands until it formed a thick white lather. He then started lathering her shoulders, and trailed down her arms. As he massaged each of her slender fingers, she let out a small sigh out of contentment. He made note, as he knew that females enjoyed having their bodies massaged and he would certainly dance on her fingers in the future.

He then moved to her neck, washing her chest, up to her chin, and lowering his hand between her large breasts. He would fondle those later, as he now wanted her to feel comfortable and clean. He washed her smooth stomach, as he suddenly noticed that her skin no longer displayed the scars of her past. He continued to lather her core and, when he felt content with what he had done, he moved to her back. He rubbed her with long strong strokes, as he wanted to massage the tired muscles at the same time. Though she had not complained, he knew that her body was tired from all it had gone through. If she was truly pupped, the coming days would even be more trying for her small body and he wanted to ensure that she was as well as possible. His hands moved to her shoulders and started to rub at some of the tight knots, feeling her ease under the gentle pressure. He smelled her becoming aroused from the touch and grinned internally. He then said in a husky voice: "My Sakura, your body is tense from all it had gone through in the past few days... I want you to be at your prime, as the coming months might be hard on your fragile frame. It does no good if you do not let me provide what your muscles need to recuperate by becoming aroused..."

Sakura smiled at his words. She had never felt arousal from massages, and this was the first time that someone had given her such a feeling. She then answered: "My Sesshoumarou, I trust you with touching me, and you are making my body feel so good right now, how can I not feel some arousal?..." She gave him a lust filed look, as she went on to suckle on his mating mark. It did the trick, as she felt him harden under her. He even let out a small moan as she sucked harder. She then moved her mouth to his ears, and licked his lobe before saying: "This also relaxes my tensed muscles..."

Before he could answer she positioned herself in a straddling position and pushed his length in her. She threw her head back from the pleasure she was feeling. She had smelled some of his arousal in the past, but never like what her keener sense were throwing her way; she could now clearly smell his desire, as his scent grew spicier and a musky lace seem to wrap it all. She could see the blood vessels on his face dilate to allow the blood to flow faster. She could hear his heart beat grow faster, as well as all the moans her human hears could not pick up. What she could smell, she tasted off his skin, as a thin layer of sweat was now covering the parts of his body which were not submerged in water. She was getting drunk of his taste, when she noticed that even her sense of touch had gotten keener, as she had coiled her hands around him, and her hands were now buried deep in his luscious hair. She started gently swaying her hips from side to side and she felt his hard shaft twitch within her. She returned her mouth to the small bite mark on his shoulder, only scar that his perfect body displayed.

His alpha started sucking his mating mark, sending jolts of pleasure through his body, making his erect member throb within her. He moaned louder, as the sweet torture she was inflicting on him was making it hard for him not to lose control. He bent slightly and captured one of her pert nipples. She gasped as he suckled it like a new born pup. He started rubbing the other, pinching it slightly, mindful not to hurt her. He let his teeth play with the rosy bud, and was rewarded with a lustful growl from his alpha. The demon lord felt the vibration of the growl through his entire body and responded with a deep moan.

Sakura started thrusting her hips slowly, as she wanted the pleasure to last. She loved this new feeling of control that she had recently gained. Her mate seemed more than happy to let her be in charge, and she was going to enjoy every moment. She concentrated on the feeling of his long shaft within her, how it rubbed her inner walls and sent jolts of pleasure through her body. She rotated her pelvis slightly on her next thrust, and found a specific angle which brought her more pleasure. She stayed this way and started pumping faster, bringing her close to her release. She felt her Sesshoumarou rubbing her pleasure nod, while still toying with her sensitive nipples. She started kissing his forehead, hoping that he would offer her his mouth.

Sesshoumarou felt by the intensity of her kisses that she wished access to his mouth. He reluctantly abandoned the rosy nipple, and licked his way to her mouth. She twirled her tongue with his, while thrusting her hips faster. She moaned loudly as he rubbed her perky bud faster. He could feel by the tightness of her walls that she was close to her release. She broke the kiss only to catch some air and to whisper in his ear: "Do you want to find your release with your alpha, my Sesshoumarou?" He moaned his answer: "Yes, my Sakura..." Her voice became more demanding as she said: "Then say it." He looked her in the eyes and said: "I wish to find my climax at the same time as you, my alpha." He could see that she somehow enjoyed hearing him ask her, and thought that she must enjoy her new role.

She grinned and said: "I authorize it..." She then threw her heads backwards as she ground her hips harder and faster, offering full view of her tantalizing neck to the demon lord. He sucked it where he would one day mark her as his. She seemed to enjoy the sensation, so he suckled harder, knowing full well that he would leave her neck bruised. He felt her tense up as she reached her peak, and allowed himself his own sweet release, spilling his spent within her. He suddenly felt exhausted, as if his entire energy was depleted at once. He rested his head on her chest, content to listen to her heart beating. He felt her wrap her arms around his head, as she buried her face in his hair, kissing his scalp. He then said in a deep voice: "How I love you, my Sakura..." He heard her giggle slightly before she answered: "And I love you, my Sesshoumarou..."

Sakura bent down and kissed her mate, before reluctantly pulling off him. Her body felt slightly sore from the intensity of their activities, but she did not care. She nearly fell on her behind when she tried to get up, as her legs felt like rags. Sesshoumarou looked at her, worried and said: "Are you well, my Sakura?" Sakura chuckled before answering: "Just a little weak in the knees... and a little light headed as well. I think we should get something to eat." Sesshoumarou nodded in agreement, as he then felt slightly guilty, as she had not eaten in nearly two days.

The demon lord quickly finished washing himself and got out of the water, only wrapping a towel around his waist. He helped his miko out of the hot spring and wrapped a towel around her as well. He then lifted her in his arms bridal style. She laughed at his careful movements and said: "I said that I was slightly lightheaded, I can still walk though..." Sesshoumarou rubbed his nose on hers and said: "Your body needs to be strong, and I will not risk my mate to be injuring herself by falling when she is weak."

She gave him a warm smile and rested her head on his shoulders, as she knew that this was a battle lost in advance. She let him carry her to their bed, and he laid her there carefully, as though she was now the most fragile piece of porcelain. She smiled warmly at him, as he went to the door and passed through the barrier that she had erected to keep her sensitive ears safe from the excessive noise. Sakura gradually lowered her barrier, allowing her new senses to adjust to the sounds of the household. She heard Sesshoumarou give clear explanations to one of the maids pertaining to the meal that was to be brought to their room. She snuggled in the silky sheets, happy that he was taking care of her. She had never had proper care givers per say, and having someone tending to her was quite comforting. She heard him come back to the bed and spoon her back. She felt his fluffy tail wrap around her small frame. She let out a sigh of happiness and wished that this moment never ended. He nuzzled his face in her still damp hair, and let out a similar sigh.

Their moment was broken by a knock on the door. Sesshoumarou reluctantly lifted his head, and before saying anything ensured that his miko was properly covered, as he did not want her body exposed to anyone. When he was satisfied with what he saw, he said loudly: "Enter" The door opened to reveal his old friend, holding a large tray of raw meats. He slowly approached the bed where the newly mated couple was laying. He knew better than to disturb two recently mated demons, as any potential threats would be dealt with swiftly. He approached as quietly as possible.

The old horse breeder's eyes strayed from the whelp to his mate and he was quite surprised with what he saw. He noticed that she did not have a mating mark on either shoulders, and that she was now displaying demon features. Her eyes were locked on him, and he suddenly felt the strength of her aura pushing down on him. He then looked back at the whelp and noticed that the exposed shoulder was proudly displaying a mating mark. He chuckled internally, as he realised who was the alpha in their couple. He knew that he had to be doubly careful, as female alpha seemed to be even more territorial towards their mates then males were.

Sakura fought a surge of territoriality towards the approaching male. She knew that somehow, he was no threat and that he would not harm her mate. She used all her will power to soften her attitude towards him, and gave him a warm smile and said: "Good morning friend, how are you?" His demeanour seemed to change, as he was stiff as a rod. He slightly relaxed and answered: "I am quite well my lady. I hope you are also well?" She nodded and said: "Yes I am quite well, thank you. Thank you for bringing us our meal to our room, we could have come to the dining hall to eat there..." The old demon smiled slightly before saying: "Well, the staff was concerned about having a newly mated pair strolling around the mansion. They were even reluctant to come and bring you food. In the end, I had to volunteer as I was afraid that the maids might do something foolish... I can see that there is no sense in worrying about the safety of my household, and I would welcome a stroll with my lord and my lady after you have eaten if you would like." Sakura smiled once more and said: "We would welcome some fresh air indeed. We'll meet you outside once we are done and decent." The old breeder chuckled as he was leaving. This was a most interesting mating, as he had never expected the pup to bow before anyone. He had issues bowing down to his own father, and though the whelp had respected his old man, he found it hard to have any form of authority imposed on him, as he was a natural leader. To see his demon lord actually accept a human miko as his dominant partner was quite amusing to the older man.

Sakura had not realized how famished she had been. She wolfed down her meal and felt her energy replenished. She had always loved raw foods but had kept her intake of uncooked meats to a minimum as she knew that it was socially unacceptable to eat some meats raw, and she was highly pleased when a platter of raw meats had been presented before them. They quickly got dressed, as Sakura was looking forward to getting some fresh air. They had found the house nearly empty, as all staff was outside working. Sakura noticed the change in the air, as it had become slightly crisper. She knew that colder months were to come, and she could only hope that they would soon be home in her mate's domain. As they stepped out, she instinctively scanned the auras of the people present in the near vicinity. One bothered her, as is was non-demonic, and held holy powers. She quickly spotted the source of her unease and let out a barely audible growl.

Sesshoumarou caught his miko's change in attitude and followed her gaze to see a Buddhist monk in a lively discussion with his old friend. Taking into account her unfriendly dispositions towards monks in general, paired with her current surge of over protectiveness, he thought it wise to turn around and return once the monk had departed. His friend turned towards them and beeline straight for the pair before he could voice his thought. The monk was following in his lead and the old demon stopped a few feet away from them. He then said in a gregarious tone: "I am glad that you were able to leave your room to join us! Lady and Lord of the West, I'd like you two to meet an old friend of mine. Hikaru is one of the best horse trainers in these parts of the country. He has personally trained most of the steeds your army currently uses."

The monk frowned as the older man had addressed the lady first. However, he bowed towards the demon lord and said: "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, my lord." He then followed protocol and turned towards Sakura, bowing, he said: "It is a pleasure to also meet your mate, my Lord..." His words earned him a vicious snarl from the small female. He looked up to see her eyes turning slightly red, and he backed away slowly. He looked at the demon lord, confused. He let his aura flare out, and realized his mistake. He knelt before Sakura and said: "I apologize profusely for my mistake, my Lady. I meant no disrespect."

Sesshoumarou had seen how volatile the situation had become, and he needed to act quickly, as he did not want the monks head to be severed from his body. He wrapped his arms around his alpha's core and let out a soothing rumble to calm her, and purred in her ear: "His blood is not worthy of your claws, my Sakura. Come my little miko, we should be heading back inside..." He was interrupted by his alpha saying: "That's fine, I'm calmed down... I wish to remain outside." He smiled tenderly at her, as he felt her still stiff in his arms, but he knew that he had diffused her temper nicely. He waited for her to take a few deep breaths before uncoiling his arms from her. He heard her say: "I am the one who should apologize, Monk. It was an honest mistake and did not warrant such a reaction. You may rise."

The monk waited for a few seconds before he did so. He looked at the demoness standing before her and was surprised by something that his senses picked up. He could not help but say: "You possess holy powers... how can that be?..."

The stunned look on the priest's face made Sakura smirk. She answered smugly: "Did you not hear my mate address me as a miko earlier? I was trained in the holy ways." When she saw him frown, she continued: "My demonic aura was seal at birth by a monk, and I think out of protection my body learned unconsciously how to convert the demonic energy to purifying energy. Either that or I am a demon who possesses holy powers, your pick..."

The monk was stunned by her bluntness. He knew from reputation that the Lord of the West was not one to go out of his way to be courteous, but for the Lady of the West to be so open about her heritage was slightly disconcerting. Also, he had noticed the spite each time she said the word 'monk' as if he was some form of repulsive animal. Seeing how short tempered she currently was, Hikaru decided not to ask any further questions. He simply looked at the angry beauty standing before him.

The old demon was looking at the scene with fascination written all over his face. Normally, even demons would respect monks when they were not hostile towards them. He had thought that she would show herself kinder to the monk as she had been raised a miko. On the contrary, he had been surprised to see her display a show of hostility like she had to no one else. He was about to speak when a large silvery stallion made his way to them, trotting happily. The monk had seen this particular stallion over the years, and it had been the only hose that he had been unable to break.

The monk placed himself protectively in front of the trio, as he had seen the damage that he had done to others in the past. He saw a flash pass by him, and his eyes grew wide as he realised that it was the Lady of the West that was actually speeding towards the large beast. He was about to shout to her when he saw her leap gracefully and straddle the large horse. Her frame was so small that she looked dwarfed by the large animal. He saw that she fully controlled the horse, and had him bend to her every will. A stunned look adorned his traits as he felt a friendly hand on his shoulders. He looked up at the old breeder, bewilderment flagrant on his face. The old demon roared in laughter at his look, and said: "Don't take it personally my friend; it seems that this little female has a strange effect on males, especially the ones that are hard to control..." His comment earned him a growl from the younger demon standing behind them, which only fuelled his laughter.

The three males watched the small woman ride the horse for a few minutes before she returned to the trio. She stepped of the giant horse and walked towards them. The trio looked at her with a strange awe in their eyes. The horse breeder seemed to break the spell when he said: "Well pups, I would say it's time for some tea, what do you all think?" They all nodded and followed the old man into the mansion, making their way silently to a small room.

They all sat around a richly ornate table, while the maids were setting the table. A fuming pot of tea was placed at the center, and then surrounded it by four cups. The maids grace when serving the warm beverage was nothing close to that displayed by the miko a few days ago. Though the old demon had appreciated the miko's display of elegance, he was not about to ask his lord's alpha to serve them tea. The young girl bowed before exiting, quite relieved, as the auras of the four beings in that room were quite strong and over powering her own.

When the maid exited and shut the screen, the monk erected a barrier around the room so that none would hear them. He had heard strange rumours, and if any were true, then the mysterious being sitting across from him was in danger. The old horse breeder started: "I have filled in my friend on the events that have happened to the two of you, and in light of the new events, we might have a few theories..."

The monk nodded and said: "There are rumours that a strong demon is attempting to unite the four countries and become the lord of all. His coup against the lord and lady of the north was his first step in achieving this. It is said that none knows who he is, as he operates from the shadows. The recent havoc created by a certain half-demon named Naraku was only meant to weaken the Cardinal Lords to usurp more power from them. We know very little about him, as his minions always seem to point in different directions." He stopped when he saw that the little demoness was looking at her mate intently. He did not wish to ask as of yet, so he continued: "It was unknown to all that there was an heir to the throne of the North, as the land now lay in turmoil and is ravaged by civil war. All are grasping at what little power they can gain."

Sesshoumarou nodded to that statement and added: "Indeed, many attacks have befallen upon my villages on the northern borders. They are becoming more frequent as the people are getting more desperate. The council has nearly collapsed upon itself, and it is said that no interim ruler has been given power by them, as they are all as corrupted by power as the next. Strong measures will be needed to regain control over the territory." Though Sesshoumarou's placid mask was in place, he was boiling internally at the thought that his intended was robbed of her due birth right by those who were supposed to be loyal to her. They would have a hell of a cleanup to do amongst the council and the court.

Sakura's mind was racing. She had already figured that two hundred years of corrupted officials must have left the northern country in dire state. She was also thinking about what the monk who had save her life had predicted, that she would become the lord of the four countries. She kept that fact to herself, as all the events that had just happened recently seemed to have fallen in place like perfectly laid brick, and it seemed almost to perfect to her. Would this demon succeed in bringing her vision to life, he would kill two birds with one stone; not only would he kill the rightful lord of the north, he would also kill the lord of the west as well as his heir in one swift swoop. Sakura knew that she needed to be strong for the upcoming battles. She needed her full demon strength, and so did Sesshoumarou. Something about his curse also felt amok. How he had been cursed and she had magically appeared before him, a powerful miko trained in the dark arts, able to assist him. It was almost to convenient, as if her entire life's training had been for this only moment, for her to impress the demon lord and for him to offer her protection.

All three males noticed that she was completely lost in her thoughts and waited for her to snap out of it. They were slightly apprehensive, and Sesshoumarou was the first to break the silence as he said: "May your Sesshoumarou inquire what are your thoughts on the subject?" She smiled warmly at him and then said: "You don't have to all be so worried, I don't bite..." She then grinned at Sesshoumarou and added: "Most of the time..." Her comment had the desired effect, as the mood lightened and the atmosphere grew more relaxed, as the four of them chuckled.

Sakura's expression became slightly tensed as she drew a sip of tea. She then said, her voice steady despite her stress: "My thoughts is that all that has happened is far too convenient." As she saw that they were not adding anything, she continued: "Why had this demon waited two hundred years, why not act right away? Also, why act now, when I have just returned to this time frame, when lord Sesshoumarou, who happens to be my soul mate, is conveniently cursed? Why attack the north first? It is my understanding that Sesshoumarou, though powerful is still very young for his title, why not gather allies and strike then? Also, one thing bothers me about a prophecy that a monk told me..."

Sesshoumarou's head snapped as he looked at her, as he knew exactly which part she was referring to. He said: "How about you tell them what the priest told you, my Sakura?" She then started to recite monk's words. Both the older demon and the monk seemed lost in their thoughts when the monk said: "It is odd indeed, as he specifically said that you would be the Lady of the West, and yet the Lord of the four countries, meaning that in that role, you shall be the only one regarded as the ruler, and yet he spoke of a mate being your equal..."

Sakura answered quickly, as she had already pondered that question: "My intentions are to have Sesshoumarou as my first mate, my equal... However, is he is the Lord of the West, wouldn't he have to abandon his position and title to become the Lord of the four countries? Also, being the only heir to the land of the north, doesn't that make me, though having a potential mate, Lord of the North?" When they all nodded she continued: "It is not my intentions to be living in a castle up north while my mate lives in the west. Either both countries will be fused and we will rule this new country together as equals, or I will appoint an interim ruler and supervise this person until one of our pups is old enough to take over. It also seems appropriate that twins are growing in my womb, as we will need two heirs, one for the North and one for the West."

When all men were waiting for her to continue, she said: "The northern kingdom might be plagued by turmoil at the current time, but I will not leave a crumbling empire to my pup. However, what if one country becomes stronger than the other? The bound shared between twins will be necessary, as instead of becoming rivals, they will be allies… Though ultimately, one might take the throne earlier…" Sakura paused for an instant, as her calculating mind was now many steps ahead. She did not need the gift of prescience to know that one of her unborn pups would rule the North, once she and his father had regained power and balance. The other pup would need more nurturing, and would inherit the West… eventually. Sakura suddenly noticed that she had been lost in her own thoughts as the males were staring at her. She quickly answered: "As for how I would become the Lord of the four countries, only time will tell, as I cannot foresee that far as I am not well versed in demon's politics."

They all pondered her words, and the monk spoke first: "I tend to agree with your theory. You said that there are very few demons in the time you come from, is that correct?" She frowned and then nodded. He continued: "Then the two of you need to return there until the mating is complete, as it is not safe for you to remain here. I would also suggest you remain there until you are well into your fourth week of gestation..." Sakura raised an eyebrow, she then spoke: "Three questions... why four weeks? Second, pray tell how exactly are we supposed to get back to the time where I was raised? Once there, how do we come back? I never heard of time travel to be an exact science you know..."

The monk smiled warmly at her as he already had a plan when it came to their time travel. He simply answered: "The old bone eater's well. You are far more powerful than the miko who used it to travel back and forth between her time and our era, and you are trained while she was not. She was able to go to her time with her half-demon companion, so you should be able to use it. I also have another plan, should this one fail. I can accompany you there, as I have a disciple in Edo who has just recently had children and would love to go visit them. As for the four weeks suggestion, it was so you would reach your half way point in your pregnancy. Dog demons, from what I remember, have exceptionally short pregnancies for such evolved beings, and eight to ten weeks is usually the norm. Though I do not know for twins, the pregnancy might just be shorter."

Sakura nodded and said: "I think it is an acceptable plan." She turned to Sesshoumarou and saw him nod. She felt the aura of the old dog demon rise in fear, and she somehow knew that it was linked to her pups. She looked at him warmly and said: "There are better medicines in the time I come from. I was also trained in the ways to use them, and my demon has suggestions on how to keep the pups safe..." She then turned to Sesshoumarou and asked him: "Can you trust someone with your lands for a month?" A devious smile formed on his lips as he said: "I think there is someone who owes me two life debts in Edo who could be convinced..." Sakura's eyes narrowed as she said: "I thought that you had laid those debts on me..." He then chuckled and answered: "Your Sesshoumarou would never dare impose such a thing on his alpha, so the debt becomes his. Besides, it is only a month, he'll live, and it will do him some good to see the responsibilities I carry." Sakura smiled at his plan and nodded. The monk then said: "Good, all set then, when shall we depart?"

Sesshoumarou knew that if they made good paste, they could be there within a few hours. He wanted his intended mate out of harm's way as soon as he could get it accomplished. He answered: "We will gather our things and depart. I will send a missive to my castle to inform them that I will be gone for a month, but that my younger half-brother will be covering the interim. He and Jaken cannot muster too much mayhem, even if they both put their brains to it." Sakura raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar name. Sesshoumarou chuckled when he answered: "He is a small kappa demon who has served our family loyally for over eight hundred years. He is the most annoying being you will come across, but he is loyal." She smiled at his answer and couldn't wait to meet him. Sakura turned to the old demon and said: "Would my miko garb be clean?"

She did not miss the side glance he threw Sesshoumarou, and the demon lord snickered as he said: "No Lady of the West has ever dressed like a commoner and this will not start today. I have commissioned my old friend with the task of getting you some appropriate kimonos for your rank. We will be bringing those through the well, as I do not wish to see you dressed in those clothes." When he saw that she was about to argue he added: "Besides, your skin is more sensitive now and requires silk, not those harsh linens and wools that peasants use." Sakura smiled as she had already noticed that her skin was now a lot more sensitive and more susceptible to being irritated.

She simply said: "I will bring one or two kimonos to the future, but they will not be appropriate every day wear. The only people that wear them are geishas and rich people who want to show off. Though I must admit the kimonos of this time are quite flattering on the figure..." Sesshoumarou knew that he had won when he said: "I am rich, and I like to showcase what is mine..." Sakura laughed lightly, knowing quite well that this was not a battle she wanted to fight. She would propose a compromise then, as she spoke: "Very well, we will take my entire wardrobe, but on the other hand, once we get there, you agree to let me dress you in tasteful, expensive modern clothing." The demon lord knew that he had no choice but to agree and nodded. They would be there for only a month, so he could compromise a little.

All of them rose to go get ready for the short trip to Edo. Sesshoumarou turned towards his miko and said: "My Sakura, please join me in our room, so you may eat before we leave." Sakura was about to argue when he cut her short: "We have already spoken of this; you need to remain strong, and you will need to feed five to six times per day to do so. I will tolerate no arguments from you on that front. You might be a very respectable healer, but you know very little about demons as there are few in your times..."

Sakura had to resign herself, as she knew that he was speaking the truth. She was however already feeling the first signs of mood swings and she did not want to cause a riot in front of others. She simply nodded in agreement, keeping her temper in check. She did not like being bossed around, but she had to remind herself that her mate was only doing what was best for her, and if the roles were inversed, she would probably force feed a reluctant mate. She felt him place his hand on the small of her back and she could only sigh as she said in a tired voice: "This is going to be a long two months..."

Sesshoumarou smiled at her whimper, and he said: "And your mate is going to be there for you through every hardship." She smiled warmly back at him and rested her head on his shoulder as they made their way to their room. She sat in front of a fresh platter of meats, and somehow doubted that she could gulf down five to six of those per day. Her reluctance left her when she took her first bite, and she realized that her body was craving more. By the time she had finished her meal, Sesshoumarou had finished his preparations and they were ready to leave. As they joined the monk and the breeder outside, she noticed that a small mare had been fitted with a heavily loaded saddle, which was covered with numerous boxes. She then looked at him with a clear frown as she said: "Just how many of those boxes are kimonos, my mate?" He smiled and answered: "All of them..." Sakura shook her head and answered: "Fine, but I am not the one carrying them." Her comment made all three males chuckle.

All of them turned when they heard a loud gallop coming their way. Sakura was about to leap onto the large stallion headed their way when she was caught by the waist by her mate. She was about to complain when she felt him leap onto the large horse and landing them gracefully and softly on his back. At first, the large stallion seemed uncertain about the second rider, but since she was there, he would not buck to get rid him, as he may injure his leader. They had determined that even though heavily loaded, the mare could take an extra passenger and the monk would be riding her.

They were about to leave when Sakura noticed a small bird of prey circling. She turned to the old demon and asked: "Would you happen to have a long, heavy leather glove? A heavy gauntlet would also do the trick..." She saw him think for a second and then ran into his house. He came out with a box filled with falconer's equipment and said: "Could any of this be of use? It was my eldest pup's hobby, but he stopped when he got mated..." When he saw her eyes glowing, he chuckled as he gave her the box and said: "Here you go my lady; you will have more use for it than I will." Sakura thanked him profusely, as she slipped on one of the gloves, as the gauntlets were clearly too large for her, and would not serve her purpose. She held out her hand and let out a sharp whistle. Instants later, a small hawk landed on her gloved arm, glowering intently at the demon lord. The old dog demon couldn't help but roar out in laughter as he said: "Did I not tell you pup, he has to be her father's reincarnated soul... Not even I could muster such look!"

Sesshoumarou sighed and pushed aside his kimono to reveal his matting mark. He did the same with his alpha to show the man that he had not wronged her, on the contrary; he was waiting for her approval. The hawk seemed satisfied with what he saw, as he nuzzled his head in her neck to show his affection towards her. She giggled as his feathers tickled her neck. She gave a sign of the head, to indicate to the monk that they were ready to go.

As they left, she said: "I don't know if you can understand me..." The small bird looked her in the eyes and nodded. She sighed in relief as she said: "Good, it will save us time. I will resume the events that have taken place in the past few days, and will ask of your opinion upon my return. Unless my demon was incorrect, you were my father's strategist, were you not?" The bird nodded once more. Sakura took it as a cue to continue: "Great! Sesshoumarou and I will be gone for four weeks. We will go back to my time, as rumours indicate that we may be in danger. During that time, you will ponder the information that I have given you and upon my return, we will discuss the future of our lands." When she saw him turn his head in a questioning way she added: "Once we return, we will be mated, and our demonic auras will be unsealed..." She was interrupted by a loud indignant squawk coming from the bird, as it resumed glaring at Sesshoumarou.

Sakura's aura flared in anger, and she ended up having a ball of feathers rolled on her arm, as the small bird had hidden his head out of fear, a nervous horse flaring his nostrils and panting heavily and a demon lord clutched to her back letting out a soothing rumble to try and calm her. She said, her voice cold and somewhat unnatural for her: "I will have none of that. I have stated that I will be returning with my mate and that upon my return, we will officially be mated. Before you judge him or myself for that matter, you will listen to the whole story." When he heard that her voice was cold but held no anger towards him, the little hawk pulled his head from his plumage and looked at her with uncertain eyes. He was grateful that her mate was trying to sooth her, as he felt as though she would have plucked every last feather from his body. With avid interest, he listened as she told what had happened to her over the past few days, starting upon her arrival to this time all the way to the mating and the reason for their departure to the future.

Though he could not speak directly to them, Sakura somehow felt that he was now in a more positive disposition when it came to their impromptu mating, and their leaving for a few weeks. She then said, calmly: "I have left out my own opinion on the subject, as I want you to look at this situation with fresh eyes, as well as with you knowledge of the internal politics at the time. Though very well versed in the subject, my mate was too young at the time, and I need the input from someone who was behind the scenes when it all started. I want you to think of what our future steps should be, as well as who could be behind it all. Ponder the words of the priest, as they might give us an idea of what is to come. While in the future, I will try to seek out fortune tellers of all kind to try and master my gift. I will also conjure all the literature that I might be able to find on old demon literature and history, and see if I can find something about this demon. From the vision I have had, it is a scorpion demon that is behind it all. I do remember of an old tale from Egypt about the Scorpion King, but I doubt that the two are related, though I will not completely disregard the tale..."

Their timing had been perfect, as she was nearly finished with her instructions and they had arrived in the small village which they had left a few days ago. She then said: "My demon said that there is a third council member awaiting my return, is that correct?" The bird once again nodded, she then added: "Do you happen to know where he is?" He nodded once again. She smiled and said: "Very well, we will need all the help we can get... please retrieve him while I am gone, so that we are all assembled upon my return." The hawk gave her the equivalence of a bow before flying off her arm. They both dismounted as the familiar silhouette of a certain half-demon was walking towards them.

Inuyasha had spotted his brother's aura from a distance and had left to meet them before they arrived into the village, as he did not was to create a commotion. He was quite surprised to see him and a small demoness leap off the largest horse he had ever seen. He then said: "Keh, brother, size is not all you know, you have to know what to do with it..." Sesshoumarou sneered at his half brother's comment and said: "Some of us are blessed with both, little brother, as you can see we had perfect control of this magnificent stallion..."

Sakura was getting slightly irked at the display between the two brothers and was about to say something when the half demon spoke: "So, who's the new broad? You came to parade her around town?..." Inuyasha nearly bit his own tongue when he was crushed by one of the most powerful auras he had ever felt. His entire body felt as though he was being buried under a mountain of spiritual energy. He fell to his knees, panting. He was about to collapse when a delicate clawed hand grabbed him by the collar and threw him against a tree. She came up to him and held his neck in her hand threateningly. He then noticed her turquoise eyes and panicked as he said: "Miko Sakura, is that you, I did not recognize you... Please forgive me..." Tears of stress started welling up in his eyes. She had saved her pups and mate, and now he had just acted like a jerk.

He saw Sesshoumarou coil his arm around her small frame and let out a deep rumble. It seemed to do the trick, through she did not remove her hand from his neck right away, choosing to let out a menacing snarl out as a warning. Sesshoumarou lowered his mouth to her ear and said: "Though it would do me no greater pleasure than to offer you the whelp's head as a mating present, if you kill him now I will have to return to my castle immediately." Sakura's eyes narrowed as she released the half demon and said: "Fine, just make sure he stays out of my way for the time that we are here." She walked away from them, stomping her feet angrily.

Sesshoumarou chuckled when he saw his half brother hiding behind him, throwing quick glances over his brother's shoulder, to ensure that she wasn't coming back with a vengeance. That's when he noticed that his older brother's scent had changed. It now had warmer undertones and a softer, almost delicate note to it. He then narrowed his eyes and said: "You two mated..." Sesshoumarou glanced back at him and said: "Not fully. That is why we are going to the future; to protect her from a strong enemy and to complete the mating..." He was interrupted by Inuyasha's snicker as he said: "Enemy? Who would be stupid enough to go after her? She would probably have scared Naraku shitless... Where was she during that battle... It would have ended so much faster, she would have kicked his ass!" Sesshoumarou shook his head and said: "Little brother, your eloquence never ceases to amaze me..." He turned around and headed in the same direction his alpha went.

Sesshoumarou then heard his brother come closer to him and take in a deep sniff as gasp at what he smelled. Sesshoumarou halted in his tracks and said: "Say what is on your mind, whelp."He turned around to see a blushing half demon. He seemed embarrassed to speak, but Sesshoumarou's ardent gaze made him squirm while he spoke: "She marked you, did she not?" Sesshoumarou only nodded as an answer. Inuyasha wrung out his hands nervously and said: "Did you mark her? I did not get your scent off her..."

Sesshoumarou was losing what little patience the boy he had and said harshly: "That is what we are going to take care of in the future... For all of the god's sake, what is wrong with you all of the sudden?" The younger man then said, in a blurb so fast that if Sesshoumarou had not been paying attention, he would have not even understood one word: "Well you know how father was not there to raise me, so I don't know much about demon society and all, and I don't know about hierarchy, and don't get me wrong because I mean no disrespect towards your lady and know that she is strong and all... but isn't it a little out of character for you to let a human miko be your alpha?..."

When Inuyasha saw Sesshoumarou's lips twitch, he felt that he would be crossing to the plains of after life before his time. He saw that his brother's alpha was watching them, intently concentrating on her mate's aura. The half demon never expected what was coming, and could have died of shock if his heart was any weaker. The dignified ice lord himself let out a powerful roar of laughter, and nearly had to wipe off a small tear from the corner of his eye. He placed a friendly hand on his little brother's shoulder and said: "Come little brother, let us have the talk our father should have had with you years ago." Sakura looked at the confused young man and couldn't help herself chuckle. Inuyasha looked at the woman standing in front of him and said: "What have you done to my brother?" His comment earned him a second fit of laughter. Sesshoumarou answered in a playful tone: "Little brother, if you really want to know all that she has done, my alpha will have to authorize me to say so, as it would be greatly impolite towards her to discuss these things without her approval." The brilliant blush on his brother's face gave him one last good chuckle as he looked at his miko.

Sakura had watched the brother's exchange. She found that it finally looked as though they were brothers, and not just strangers tolerating each other. She then let out a non-committal groan and said: "As long as he promises to keep his big mouth shut, you can answer any question that he has. Poor Kagome might be missing out on certain things... Especially if she comes from the same times I do, she must have certain expectations..."

It was her time to laugh at the two faces staring back at her. She walked towards her stunned mate and kissed him passionately, feeling the half demon's embarrassment. She truly did not care. If she was truly Sesshoumarou's alpha, she was allowed to display her affection for her mate whenever she felt like it. Not that she would turn to exhibitionism anytime, as she still had a fair amount of modesty, but she wanted to kiss him at this current moment and she did. When she broke the kiss, his eyes were half way close, and she spoke in a teasing manner: "I told you that I would see you roar in laughter before you marked me as yours..." She smiled and walked away, as she knew that they needed to get moving. Though she was surrounded by powerful beings, the thought that they might be attacked in their current situation made her skin crawl. Even though she enjoyed the kick she got out of being the dominating partner, she had started to feel the heavy burden of keeping him safe from all harm. Her instincts somehow knew that it was her role to keep her mate safe, and she intended to carry out this duty ferociously.

The monk had been watching the strange exchange between the demons and was relieved that it ended peacefully. He had feared for the young half demon's life when he had challenged the Lady the way he did. He had truly understood how Sesshoumarou was her equal. It was in his nature to be a leader, but he also showed great, cold restraint. On the other end of that spectrum, his little female was fiery and passionate, which made her warmer but more susceptible to temper flares. He also knew that when female dog demons were the alpha, they displayed their leadership roles with a fierceness that no male could match. From what his friend breeder had told him, Sesshoumarou had shown such possessiveness towards the miko before they were mated, and the small female had accepted his protection, even soothing him down when his temps flared in menacing ways. The roles were now inversed. He also knew that her unfriendly disposition was probably accentuated by her pregnancy, as women of all breeds and races were known to have incredibly short temper during that period.

Inuyasha finally noticed the monk riding on the smaller horse, as he was hidden amongst all the boxes that were loaded on the poor beast. He then said in his gruff tone: "Keh, monk! Are you along for the ride or only here to get a good show?" The Monk smiled politely and answered: "I'm only a friend of a friend. I came along since a friend of mine, another monk, as recently had children. I came to offer my congratulations. Would you happen to know a monk know as Miroku?" Inuyasha smiled proudly and said: "Yeah, I know him! The perverted monk is in the village visiting my new family" Sesshoumarou noticed the pride in his little brother's voice and smiled as he felt the same towards his own mate and future family. He then felt his alpha's temper flare and rushed to her as she said in a low voice, a mere whisper: "Perverted monk?"

Sesshoumarou's chest cringed at her words and he whispered in her ear: "Nothing to worry, he's only a lecherous man, who enjoys groping women a little too much. You will see that the man is quite charming. He has played a key role in the destruction of Naraku..." He felt her aura flare down and heard her say, her voice still low: "Please tell them that if any of his appendages come in contact with any parts of my body, thus said appendage will be swiftly removed and be part of my next meal." Sesshoumarou felt the seriousness of the threat, and kissed her on her temple and said: "He will be warned, my love"

Sakura moved away from her mate and continued her route to the small village. She concentrated on the sounds of the forest and it helped her calm down. She had regained every ounce of her control when they finally arrived to the old miko's familiar hut. Kaede stepped out to greet them, followed by Rin, who glued herself to Sesshoumarou's hip. Sakura smiled warmly at the little girl, and was surprised when Sesshoumarou pushed her away slightly before saying: "Rin, in the future, you will always greet my mate before you greet me, out of politeness. Is that understood?"

Rin nodded and ran towards the miko and hugged her with all the might her little body could muster. She then said: "Rin finds you pretty. You have changed since we last saw you. You really are as beautiful as a blossom!" Sakura patted the little girl on the head and then lowered herself to make eye contact with her. She then said: "Tell me Rin, do you miss Sesshoumarou?" She noticed the young girl's eyes cloud as she said: "Lord Sesshoumarou wants Rin to learn what it is to be human so that Rin may choose where to live..."

Sakura then straightened up and looked at her mate and said: "This village has Kaede, as well as Kagome, who will one day replace her. I need an eager apprentice. Would any here see offense that Rin, upon our return in four weeks, comes back with me to be trained as a healer, as she seems to show great talent in that art? Once her training is complete, she can then choose to stay and take an apprentice herself, or leave to become the head miko of a village in need." She saw a light in her demon's eyes, as what she had just done pleased him greatly. She saw the little girl bounce up and down with happiness. Sakura pushed the little girl towards the demon lord and saw her resume her position at his waist. She could not help but find the little girl's enthusiasm endearing. Sakura knew that the month to come would, for the most part, be extremely unpleasant. This would give her something to look forward to.

They all heard voices coming from the hunt. Fist exited an exuberant monk who said: "Did I hear Rin speak of a woman as beautiful as a blossom? I must challenge that as my beautiful Sango holds that title..." He was flabbergasted by the sight in front of him. The beauty standing a few feet from him was mesmerizing. As he approached towards her, as he did most women, as part of his tactics to bear hug them and get a better feel of their bodies, he could hear the clear ripple of growls breaking the air. Miroku had never seen the two brothers agree nor cooperate on anything in all of their encounters, but he was now facing two seriously pissed off dog demons.

He slowly backed away from the creature standing in front of him, and he saw her dart off and hide behind the demon lord. He knelt down and listened to his instincts and said: "I apologize greatly to the lady if my antics startled her. I am a very friendly person, and come off often as being inappropriate." He then picked up something off her aura, something hidden and protected; a deep fear of something, of something that had injured her very soul. A mental picture formed in his mind of an abused child and he had to stop himself from gagging. He then said in a quiet, sober tone: "Please be assured my Lady, that it was not my intentions to scare you. I would never think of doing anything inappropriate to you." Miroku had hoped that this was enough to calm the woman who was now leaning on the demon lord for support.

Sakura had been startled by the man who had come out of the hut. She had gone through so much with her mate, and Sesshoumarou had already started healing many of her unseen wounds. She was not ready to face the monk's attire from up close yet. She decided to face him using some of her demon's strength. She circled him and stood in from of him, leaning slightly into his chest. He understood her unspoken request and wrapped his arms around her core. Sakura let his warmth envelop her. She then spoke when she felt her voice was steady enough: "I apologize, Miroku. It was not your fault, and though you startled me, there was no need for me to react this way. Hikaru, Miroku, I have a humble request... We will not be staying long in this village. I mean no disrespect in this request, but would you terribly mind changing clothes, into something less..." Miroku's eyes lit up as he said: "No problem, my Lady, I will change right away! Come Hikaru, I have something for you as well."

As both males disappeared into the small hut, Sakura felt her body abandon her as she went as limp as a rag doll. Sesshoumarou lifted her bridal style and said to the old miko: "She needs to eat. Anything raw will do the trick. Also, brother, she needs some of your special liver concoction and she asked that you teach me how to prepare it." Sesshoumarou was slightly tensed due to the fact that his mate was now drained of her precious energy. He suspected that the harm was more emotional than physical, but he would not chance it. He went under a tree with his fare and settled her in a comfortable position on his lap. The older miko rushed back with a pair of freshly killed hares. He suspected Inuyasha had gone and killed them right away, following his orders. The old miko started to skin one of them, and held out choice pieces to the demon lord. He picked them up and positioned them in front of his miko's mouth.

When still unresponsive, he wriggled some of the warm flesh on her lips, hoping to call out her baser instincts. His efforts were rewarded, as she snatched the piece from his hand, making him smile warmly down at her. He continued feeding her in such a matter until both animals had been stripped of their flesh and price organs were eaten. He had felt that his little miko had eaten enough, as she had now laid her head on his chest and was preparing herself for a nap.

The old miko looked back at him, sending him an inquiring glance. He looked at her and bowed his head slightly, thanking her for her help with the little miko. Kaede took it as her cue to leave, and return to her hut. She saw Inuyasha return with a frightening amount of slaughtered animals. She then said: "Pray tell, child, what ye plan to do with all these?" The half demon smiled and said: "My brother has asked me to prepare and share an old family recipe for his alpha. Their livers are needed... I thought that if we gathered every one, we could preserve the meat for harsher times..." Kaede smiled back at him and said: "Ye are right; I will gather all available hands to help."

Inuyasha truly did not care whether the meat was going to be saved or not. For the first time in his life, his brother had actually treated him like a member of his pack, and had made him feel like family. He had asked him to help his alpha, and so he would. Since all he needed were the livers, he quickly slit the bellies of the creatures he slew and withdrew the precious organ. His instincts told him to also withdraw the hearts, as they might be useful. He then withdrew all that was necessary to prepare the brew, and went close to the spot where his brother had taken his intended. He started a fire not to close to them, so he wouldn't wake her with the harsh smells. He also knew that he was close enough for his brother to hear his every explanations, so he started preparing his family recipe, making sure that he was giving detailed descriptions of all the steps. Oncee he finished preparing it, he handed one cup of the mixture to Sesshoumarou, and watched as he held it to her lips.

She gulped it down, as it did taste quite awful and she wanted to get it done as quickly as possible. Sesshoumarou handed the cup back to Inuyasha who filed it once more, and gave it back to his brother. He brought it back to her lips and she swallowed it again all at once. Once he handed the cup back to Inuyasha, and the half demon was about to fill it again, she spoke plainly: "If you feed me a third cup of this, mark my words I will murder someone."

Sesshoumarou chuckled as he saw his brother's ears flat on his head as he shot terrified glances toward the miko. He sighed and said: "Very well, if you are strong enough to complain, I guess two cups should suffice." The demon lord did not want to leave while she was still weak, as he did not know what would be waiting for him on the other side of the well, and she needed to be strong as she would be his guide.

Sakura rested her head on the demon lord's strong chest. She wanted to stay in this time, and not go back to where she grew up, as there were so many painful memories attached to it. She sighed, as she knew that there was no use in procrastinating and said, her voice weary: "I guess we should get going, if we are to be at the shrine before night fall…" Her lack of enthusiasm struck Inuyasha as he said: "Aren't you happy to go back home to see your family?" She looked him straight in the eyes and said: "They are not my family, and I am not happy to go back to this place. In one month, I will truly be heading home with my family."

Sesshoumarou could not stop the small smile that crept to his lips, as he was quite pleased with the fact that she already considered his domain as her home. He spoke quickly: "Speaking of which little brother, it reminds me that you will need to handle my role during my absence." As the half-demon opened his mouth, the older man interrupted him: "You own both of us two lives. We have saved your pups, it is only fair that you contribute in saving ours. You may go there with your mate and pups as well." Sesshoumarou knew that he had won the argument when he saw Inuyasha staring at this intended mate's stomach. He then said, hesitating: "Very well, that won't be a problem… Could I ask something, lady Sakura?" She turned her gaze towards him, and saw that he was slightly blushing. She nodded and he said: "Would you mind if I put my ear to your stomach to hear the pup's heart beats? I always loved doing this with Kagome and kind of miss it…"

Sakura was slightly stunned by his request, but would indulge him nevertheless. She nodded and he did not wait, almost afraid she would change her mind. He placed his head delicately on her core, and shut his eyes. It was quite faint, but the small heart beats could already be heard. He drank in her smell, as her smell had now slightly shifted to something more motherly. Kagome had offered the hypothesis that he enjoyed this so much was because his contact with his own mother had been so brief. He had disagreed with her at the time, but now that he was doing this with his brother's alpha, the feeling was quite different. Since she was the dominant mate, she was technically the new head of family, placing her at a similar rank to what their father had held. He knew that Sesshoumarou would not stop him from treating her with similar respect.

Sakura's gesture had been instinctive, as she started stroking his head. She heard him sigh with content, and she could tell that he somehow felt comforted. She made a mental note to ask her mate about his little brother's strange behavior. She felt vaguely protective of the younger male, and though it was nowhere near what she felt towards Sesshoumarou, she knew that she would protect him in every way possible. She realized that it must be part of her new set of instincts, as Inuyasha was now technically her 'mate-in-law'. She figured it had to be linked to that.

Sesshoumarou had felt her unease when the whelp had acted out of character. He knew he should have foreseen it though. Any mate who would be his alpha would be viewed with the same respect that his father would. He also knew that her pack instinct was developing, as he could feel her enveloping his little brother in her own aura. Though she was not claiming him as a second mate, she was claiming him as hers, and Inuyasha was accepting it. It made sense to the demon lord. Even though he had had a pack in the past, he had never known what it was to follow a strong leader. He did not know the feeling of belonging amongst his own people. The demon lord knew that he would have never been able to be that type of alpha to the pup, but his little miko seemed to be successfully closing the gap between both of them.

Inuyasha did not want to go away from the miko, as he now felt warmth within him which he had never felt before. It was as though he now knew exactly where he belonged and he did not want to let go. He knew however that Sesshoumarou was well renowned for his shortness of temper, and his alpha seemed to share that trait. He slowly straightened up and said: "Thanks, that was great." He offered her a small, sad smile. His older brother then said: "If my miko agrees to it, when we return we might discuss you moving to the castle…" His heart skipped a beat as his frozen mind was trying to process the words that had just been spoken.

Sakura looked up to into her mate's eyes and smiled warmly. She then turned to an extremely stunned half demon and said: "That would be amazing, us all living so close to one another! Please say that you'll at least consider it?..." Inuyasha took a few second to shake out of his stupor and said: "I will have to discuss this with Kagome first, but I don't see how it's going to be a problem…" Sakura squealed in delight as she pulled the younger man into her arm. She then pecked his cheek and said: "That's all I can ask…" She released him from her hug and he darted to the hut, overly excited. She nuzzled her head back into her mate's chest and said: "Thank you, I really appreciate it…"

Sesshoumarou slipped a clawed finger under her chin and lifted it so she would be looking into his eyes. When her turquoise orbs were fixed on his golden pools, he rubbed his nose against his and added: "I cannot deny your instincts' need for a pack. Your Sesshoumarou's little brother and his mate will be a good first addition."

Sakura felt quite happy at the fact that her mate had suggested adding Inuyasha and Kagome to their pack. She wanted to have friendly faces in her home, and trusted these two. She sighed heavily and said: "Though it is truly not my wish, we must leave this place at once. My instinct is pulling me towards the well and I fear that we may not have much time." Sakura knew that the half demon had heard her, and that he would be rushing toward the old well to wish them goodbye.

Both Sakura and her mate headed towards the old bone eater's well, and waited for Inuyasha to join them. They soon saw the speeding half demon who was heading their way. He stopped feet from them and said: "Kagome and I will move to your castle to cover your duties while you are gone. When you return, we will discuss your proposition and all its ramifications… Please come back safely…" Inuyasha was obviously chocked by his own words. Sakura smiled and hugged him, happy with his reply. She kissed his forehead and turned towards the demon lord and said: "Well, shall we be going?"

Sesshoumaou nodded and grabbed his miko in his arms. He leapt into the old well and was half expecting to hit solid ground soon. Instead, they were both surrounded by a strange blue light…

That's it for today folks, hope you have enjoyed!


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